Ecocide Prevention: Research on Green Behaviors
(Room Golden West)
30 Jun 16
12:00 PM
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1:15 PM
The empirical literature on interventions that increase pro-environmental behavior, intent, values, and attitudes will be reviewed. Many interventions have been found to increase temporarily these dependent variables as well as predisposing and enabling variables. The latter include happiness, empathy, environmental awareness, health, and a shift in identification from egocentric to world-centric identification. Nature-connectedness activities, psycho-educational groups, and meditation are the most-researched interventions. The methodologic quality of most of this research is rather "green." Thus, experimental recommendations are offered. Reconceptualization of environmental destruction as a complex form of psychopathology is outlined to generate new research and more effective interventions. If longitudinal research shows these behavioral measures to have long-term effect, this would be a very cost-effective approach to revive ecosystem health.