Psychology and Climate Change
Human Perceptions, Impacts, and Responses
- 2nd Edition - June 1, 2026
- Latest edition
- Editors: Michael T. Schmitt, Gulnaz Anjum, Susan Clayton, Christie Manning
- Language: English
Psychology and Climate Change: Human Perceptions, Impacts, and Responses, Second Edition offers an updated exploration on the intricate relationship between human psychology and th… Read more
New chapters cover topics such as emotional responses to climate change and their impact on behavior, the dynamics of collective identity in climate change responses, the strategic role of climate activism in promoting mitigation and adaptation, the psychological implications of climate injustice, and an ecofeminist approach to understanding the psychology of climate change. Serving as an essential resource for both education and professional use, this revised edition provides readers with the knowledge and strategies needed to drive meaningful action and policy change at various levels.
- Includes new chapters on development and children’s understanding of climate change and gender inequality and eco-feminist approaches to climate change
- Presents strategies for effective communication, behavioral change, politics of climate activism and collective identity, and policy recommendations
- Offers updated literature on perceptions, communication strategies, consumption behavior, mental health impacts, coloniality, and justice mechanisms related to climate change
- Highlights practical applications of psychological research in addressing climate change
Part I: Perceptions and Communication
2. Perceptions of Climate Change
3. Climate Change Communication: Challenges, Insights, and Opportunities
Part II: Responding to Climate Change
4. Unrealized Potential: Leveraging Psychology to Advance High-Impact Consumer Behaviors for Climate Change Behavior
5. How Emotions Shape Human Responses to Climate Change
6. Mobilizing Collective Identity: Harnessing Group Processes to Drive Climate Action
7. The Psychology of Effective Climate Activism: Building Movements, Influencing Change, and Responding to Opposition
8. Leading Organizations Toward Climate Action
Part III: Wellbeing and Resilience
9. Threats to Mental Health and Wellbeing Associated with Climate Change
10. Children and youth in the climate crisis: A developmental perspective
11. Community resilience to climate change: Advancing research, equity, and collaborative action
Part IV: Incorporating Equity and Justice
12. Psychological Dimensions of Climate Justice
13. Gender Inequality and Eco-Feminist Approaches to Climate Change
14. The Psychology of Climate Conflicts and Green Mediation
15. Decolonizing Climate Psychology: Climate Coloniality and Pathways for Transformation
16. Conclusions
"This workbook provides a tremendous resource for helping new behavior analysts work through commonly encountered ethical dilemmas.This will be a great asset in ethics courses and in preparation for the exam."—Linda A. LeBlanc, PhD, BCBA-D, LeBlanc Behavioral Consulting, Golden, Colorado
"A Workbook of Ethical Case Scenarios in Applied Behavior Analysis is a goldmine for instructors in search of case studies for teaching ethical decision-making and makes a significant and timely contribution to the field of behavior analysis."—Matthew T. Brodhead, PhD, BCBA-D, Assistant Professor, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
- Edition: 2
- Latest edition
- Published: June 1, 2026
- Language: English
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Michael T. Schmitt
Dr. Michael T. Schmitt received his MA and PhD from the University of Kansas, where worked with Nyla Branscombe on the psychological implications of group-based privilege and disadvantage. After two years at Purdue University, Michael has worked at Simon Fraser University where he is now a professor of social psychology. He is a White settler grateful to live and work on the unceded territories of the Tsleil-Waututh (səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ), Kwikwetlem (kʷikʷəƛ̓əm), Squamish (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw) and Musqueam (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm) Nations. Michael’s current work applies critical psychology perspectives and a social identity lens to climate change and environmental activism.
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Gulnaz Anjum
Dr. Gulnaz Anjum (she/her) is an Assistant Professor and Chartered Psychologist in the Department of Psychology at the University of Limerick, and a Researcher in the Department of Psychology at the University of Oslo. Her research and teaching centre on climate justice and Global South perspectives. She examines how climate change, gendered vulnerability, and displacement intersect to shape health and psychosocial wellbeing in marginalised communities across South Asia, Africa, Latin America, and migrant contexts in the Global North. Drawing on feminist, decolonial, and community-based approaches, she investigates how structural inequalities and environmental stressors constrain agency, repair, and adaptive capacity, while also advancing alternative frameworks for equitable climate governance.
Dr Anjum’s research and collaborations have been supported by major international funders, including the International Development Research Centre (IDRC, Canada), UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and Novo Nordisk (Denmark). Her work has been published in leading journal outlets such as Climate Policy, PNAS, and Psychological Science. She was a Fulbright Scholar to the United States, a former Max Planck PhD Fellow in Germany, and the recipient of several academic and research awards.
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Susan Clayton
Dr. Susan Clayton is the Whitmore-Williams Professor of Psychology at the College of Wooster in Ohio. Her PhD, in social psychology, is from Yale University. Dr. Clayton’s research examines people’s relationship with the natural environment, how it is socially constructed, and how it is affected by changing environmental conditions; she is co-author of the widely used Climate Change Anxiety Scale. A fellow of the American Psychological Association and the International Association of Applied Psychology, she was a lead author on the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. She continues to research the ways in which climate change is affecting people’s lives and well-being.
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Christie Manning
Dr. Christie Manning, PhD, is a cognitive and biological psychologist who teaches in the interdisciplinary Environmental Studies Department at Macalester College in Minnesota. Her research explores how climate storytelling influences the psychological antecedents of community-level climate action, and how climate injustice impacts human well-being. Her recent co-authored books include Fostering Sustainability in Higher Education, and the academic textbook, Psychology for Sustainability, 6e. Dr Manning is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association.