Seminar 2. Attitude-behaviour gap

Thursday 27 January 2011, Oak suite - University of Surrey

The attitude-behaviour gap or value-action gap. Does it exist and if so how do we deal with it?

The relationship between attitudes and values on the one hand and behaviours on the other has been a focus of research for decades. Although there is evidence to suggest that attitudes do relate to behaviours and that attitude change can lead to behaviour change, the relationship is not always predictable.

Within the field of environmental psychology, the attitude-behaviour gap (or value-action gap) is a hotly debated issue. This symposium provides three different perspectives on the topic from three distinguished international academics who have many years experience of researching this topic.

This seminar - the second in the BPS seminar series on the Psychology of Sustainability - is a unique opportunity to hear the most current positions and research from three experts. There will be plenty of time to discuss these ideas and their implications the development of theoretical perspectives and future research on attitude-behaviour relationships as well as the practical and policy implications of research findings.

Programme

09.30 - 10.00 Dr Birgitta Gatersleben: Welcome and introduction

10.00 - 11.00 Prof. John Thøgersen: Spillover of pro-environmental behaviour: Generalizing, a license to anti-social behaviour, or neither?

11.00 - 12.00 Prof. Linda Steg: Normative influence on environmental behaviour

12.00 - 13.00 Lunch

13.00 - 14.00 Prof. Florian Kaiser: Campbell's paradigm: A teleological not a causal (environmental) attitude-behaviour link

14.00 - 14.30 Dr Birgitta Gatersleben: Summary and introduction to discussion

14.30 - 14.45 Tea

14.45 - 15.45 Discussion

15.45 - 15.15 Prof. David Uzzell: Summary and conclusions

Professor Linda Steg

Linda Steg is professor of Environmental Psychology at the University of Groningen. Her research focuses on explaining and changing environmentally significant behaviour. She is particularly interested in the effects of normative concerns, such as norms, values, and moral considerations, on environmental behaviour.

Professor John Thøgersen

John Thøgersen is Professor of Economic Psychology. His current research includes projects on social norms in the environmental field, promoting energy conservation in households, consumer acceptance of organic food products in China, Brazil and Europe, and intergenerational transfer of environmental concern.

Professor Florian Kaiser

Florian G. Kaiser is professor of personality and social psychology at the Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany. His research interests include attitude theory, the attitude-behaviour relationship particularly with respect to environmental conservation, environmental knowledge & competency, psychological policy support, and large-scale behaviour change.

Dr Birgitta Gatersleben

Birgitta Gatersleben is Lecturer in Environmental Psychology at the University of Surrey. Her work concentrates on sustainable consumption, transport and experiences with nature.

Prof. David Uzzell

David Uzzell is Professor of Environmental Psychology in the Department of Psychology, University of Surrey. His principal research interests focus on public understandings of climate change, critical psychological approaches to changing consumption and production practices, environmental risk, and identity and the past.

If you would like to attend please contact:

Birgitta Gatersleben - b.gatersleben@surrey.ac.uk