Dear Dr. Kennedy,
Carol Boggs recommended that I contact you about a course I am developing in collaboration with Tom Robinson (School of Medicine professor). We are pursuing the possibility of listing it in Human Biology, and thought that Earth Systems might also be interested in offering/cross-listing it. Specifically, the course relates to how to modify human behavior to reduce the severity of climate change.
Below I have provided a rough overview of what we envision. Note that the list of potential “guest lecturers” (see below) originally worked together on a grant proposal (which I’ve attached in case it’s useful) on the same topic as this proposed course. Also note that because of Tom Robinson’s expertise in changing health-related behaviors, the course might emphasize “mutually beneficial behaviors”, i.e., it might focus on changing behaviors that address the problem of climate change, as well as health problems (e.g., obesity).
Please let me know if I can provide further information, and, if you believe Earth Systems might be interested in this course, how to follow up. The course is in its formative stage, so we could consider changes to make it fit better with your curriculum.
Sincerely,
Carrie Armel
Postdoctoral Fellow, Economics & Psychology Depts.
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Course Title: Motivating Changes in Behavior to Address Current Problems Facing Humanity: Climate Change
Instructors:
Tom Robinson, Professor of Pediatrics, School of Medicine
Carrie Armel, Postdoctoral Fellow, Economics and Psychology Departments
Course Objectives.
A significant reduction in greenhouse gases can be achieved by motivating individuals to modify their personal behavior (e.g., driving less). In the first quarter of this course, findings and methods are reviewed from several fields that have been most effective at changing behavior in the real world. Students also develop ideas for applying these principles to modify climate change related behaviors. This survey and development work is achieved through readings and discussions led by leaders in each field. In the second quarter, students translate these principles into an intervention (e.g., at a local high school) in an attempt to modify real world behavior. Students also develop metrics and measure behavior in order to evaluate the efficacy of the intervention. (This course has a service learning component.)
Course Schedule:
The course lasts two quarters (students would not be required to take the second quarter), most likely offered winter and spring of 2007, with the possibility of being offered annually (in which case the problem topic could vary). The first quarter is held as a seminar, and the second quarter combines field work with discussion sections. Classes would meet twice a week.
A sample syllabus for the first quarter, by week: (Note: Generally, guest lecturers would speak for one of the two classes each week, and Robinson, Armel, and the students would lead discussions in the second class.)
- An overview, focusing on intervention design, in order to provide a goal-directed framework for the course. (Robinson & Armel)
- Climate change science and policy: The essentials. (Schneider & Ehrlich).
- Identify target behaviors and ways of overcoming barriers to them. Develop metrics, baselines, and ways of providing feedback. (Mastrandrea, Armel, Robinson)
- Education. Identify and simplify the essential concepts that emphasize the veracity of climate change and urgency of action. Apply educational tools to improve comprehension, motivation, and memory. (Shrager; perhaps Richard Shavelson education faculty)
- Consumer behavior and neuroeconomics. Relevant consumer behavior & advertising findings (Shiv); perhaps relevant neuroscience findings (Shiv, Armel, & perhaps Brian Knutson psychology faculty).
- Social psychology. Topics include psychological research on the perception of norms, traits of an effective spokesperson, etc. (Monin)
- Education entertainment & video media. Social cognitive theory and education entertainment (Bandura); relevant cinematic theory (Kris Samuelson).
- Behavioral health medicine I. Bringing it all together: designing an intervention (Robinson).
- Behavioral health medicine II. Implementing and evaluating an intervention (Robinson).
- Quantitative sociology. Studying the diffusion of norms (Rao, Ehrlich, perhaps Mark Granovetter sociology faculty.)
Brief Research Biographies for Course Instructors and Potential Guest Lecturers
Carrie Armel, Economics & Psychology, S&H (Postdoctoral Fellow). Dr. Armel studies how affect and motivation influence individual decision making using psychological, psychophysiological, eye-tracking, and neuroscientific tools. She hopes to unite her Neuroeconomics work and environmental interest to develop an effective methodology for changing environmentally relevant behaviors.
Albert Bandura, Psychology, S&H (David Starr Jordan Professor of Social Science in Psychology). (Advising participant). Dr. Bandura studies self and communal efficacy, social learning theory, and moral disengagement. His work has been adapted through telenovelas to promote virtually unprecedented levels social change in the areas of population control and increased literacy.
Paul Ehrlich, Biological Sciences, S&H (Bing Professor of Population Studies). Dr. Ehrlich studies conservation biology, ecology, evolution, and behavior of natural populations. Most well known for his book The Population Bomb, his current focus is on reducing the severity of climate change caused by over-consumption. He addresses this by studying how cultural evolution can be facilitated through the diffusion of norms.
Michael Mastrandrea, CESP (Postdoctoral Fellow). Dr. Mastrandea develops integrated assessment modeling of the climate and economy as a tool for climate policy analysis, with an emphasis on quantifying risk and uncertainty. In collaboration with Dr. Schneider, he has recently reviewed and is beginning to incorporate psychological perceptions of risk into his work.
Benoit Monin, Psychology, S&H (Assistant Professor). Dr. Monin studies perceptions of group norms, the moralization of everyday life, and cognitive dissonance. He is especially interested in identifying which traits make an effective spokesperson on moral issues, including environmental issues, as well as what psychological processes play a role in the tragedy of the commons problem.
Hayagreeva Rao, Organizational Behavior and Human Resources, GSB. (Atholl McBean Professor). Dr. Rao applies quantitative sociological methods to study the creation and transformation of social structures using real world data. He is particularly interested in identifying what factors facilitate or hinder important social and environmental movements.
Tom Robinson, General Pediatrics, Medicine (Associate Professor). Dr. Robinson develops and evaluates health promotion and disease prevention interventions for children and adolescents. He believes that addressing climate change through behavior modification will also have substantial beneficial impacts on health issues, such as obesity.
Kristine Samuelson, Communications, S&H (Professor). Dr. Samuelson has been an independent film producer for twenty-two years and teaches documentary producing and directing. She hopes to apply cinematic techniques that engage and motivate viewers concerning climate change issues.
Steve Schneider, Biological Sciences, S&H (Professor). Dr. Schneider studies climate change, such as climatic modeling of paleoclimates and human impacts on climate. In collaboration with Dr. Mastrandrea, he has recently reviewed and is beginning to incorporate psychological perceptions of risk into his work. He has had significant interactions with policy makers and industry.
Baba Shiv, Marketing, GSB (Associate Professor). Dr. Shiv has published on decision making, from consumer behavior to neuroscience. He believes the emerging field of Neuroeconomics will provide unique approaches to studying and improving environmental decision making.
Jeff Shrager, Symbolic Systems, S&H (Consulting Professor). Dr. Shrager studies how novices learn science and how to facilitate this learning. He also develops computer tools, such as knowledge operating systems, to aid more complex scientific inquiries. Consistent with his environmental interests, his most recent work aids biologists in clarifying the role of climate change and other environmental stressors on cyanobacteria, a photosynthetic ocean organism that produces half the oxygen and absorbs half the CO2 in the atmosphere.
We also plan on contacting Mark Granovetter (S&H, Joan Butler Ford Professor of Sociology) who has developed some of the most influential theories in modern sociology. His quantitative social network analysis has led to his theories on threshold models of fads, the problem of embeddedness, and the strength of weak ties, which have been popularised by Malcolm Gladwell's book The Tipping Point. Dr. Granovetter has a particular interest in environmental issues and has used the electricity industry as a model for much of his work.