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Content: The module addresses how people process information about climate change, what governs our acceptance of it, how people make sense of climate change cognitively and emotionally and when and why we act pro-environmentally (both individually and collectively) and why global action has been so hard to achieve. The module will cover causes and consequences of climate change, the communication of climate facts to different audiences, individual factors that enable or impede pro-environmental behaviours, and game theoretic and group dynamics of climate change action.

Teaching delivery: The module will consist of ten weekly 1.5 hour-long sessions with a lecturer, plus additional reading materials and occasional online seminars given by guest speakers.

Indicative Topics: Indicative lecture topics – based on module content in previous 2 years, subject to possible changes: The human impact on climate and ecosystems, EN-roads simulation, Metacognition, misinformation & climate change, The effect of climate on humans, Communicating climate change, Psychology of the individual, Climate as a Social Dilemma, The environmental movement, Behaviour change in a systems context and The narrative of climate change.Ìý

Module Aims: The aims of the module are:

• To introduce students to the psychological issues surrounding the awareness of climate change
• To equip students with an understanding of factors affecting climate-related action/inaction, individually and collectively
• To provide students with communication skills that enable them to use their knowledge of climate psychology to enhance people’s understanding of climate change and their own reactions to it, and influence pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours