Skip to main content

Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin

Trinity Menu Trinity Search



You are here Trinity Electives > The Psychology of the Climate Crisis

The Psychology of the Climate Crisis

Why should I take this Trinity Elective?

The data are clear and unequivocal - we are rapidly running out of time to secure a liveable future on this planet. But, despite the accumulating mountain of facts and data on our growing climate and ecological crises, humanity is failing to act. Why? That is one of the central questions of our Trinity Elective module, The Psychology of the Climate Crisis. This elective will examine the role of human psychology - human thought and behaviour - in the climate and biodiversity crises. First - how did we get here? What is it about human thought and behaviour and the structures and systems we have created that produced these crises and prevents action? Second - what are the effects? How is the Climate Crisis affecting human health, behaviour, and well-being? In what way are these effects unevenly distributed across the world and what are the implications of this inequity? And finally, what does psychology have to offer in terms of solutions? How we can leverage our understanding of human thought and behaviour to mitigate the crises?

What will I learn

By learning about topics such as political and social identities, motivated reasoning and cognitive biases, money and power, human and social systems, morality, and the psychology of protest and civic action, you will better understand:

  • How human thought and behaviour, and our inventions - the structures and systems we have created - have led to the current crises;
  • How the climate crisis and biodiversity loss affect human health, behaviour, and well-being, and the need for climate justice and a just transition;
  • How human thought, emotion, and behaviour can be manipulated for better and for worse;
  • How to apply our knowledge of human psychology to motivate and provoke action.

What will I do?

Students will attend lectures, and will attend discussion sessions and workshops delivered and led by a multidisciplinary team. Students will also engage with a variety of readings and other media, and will complete a group and an individual assignment.

How will this be delivered?

This elective will be delivered using a blended format. This will include in-person face-to-face interactive lectures, asynchronous pre-recorded lectures, and flipped-classroom sessions in which students view a pre-recorded lecture in preparation for a face-to-face interactive discussion seminar. There will also be two workshops aimed at supporting the students in their assessment tasks and in addressing the implications of their learning for themselves and others. Blackboard will be utilised extensively for communicating with students and for sharing reading materials and links to other resources (e.g., recorded talks, podcasts, etc.). Discussion boards will be established for communication and discussion of the material with peers.

How will this be assessed?

Working together in groups, students will create and share social media communications (Twitter threads,Instagram posts, TikTok videos) aimed at changing public understanding of and action on climate change (40% of final mark).

Working alone, students will also produce a policy brief (<1500 words; 60% of final mark) that aims to provide an identified decision maker(s) (e.g., political group, business, public body, etc.) with a concise overview of the evidence on a specific climate-related issue and to outline solutions in the form of actionable recommendations for policy change.

Who can take this Trinity Elective?

Any eligible student may take this module apart from students in the Psychology programme who have an opportunity to take a Sophister Option on the same topic.

 

More Information (PDF 190KB)