The Psychology of Pro-Environmental Communication Beyond Standard Information Strategies

The environment is part of everyone's life, but the degree to which there is public disagreement and uncertainty about issues like climate change shows that there are difficulties in communicating these complex environmental problems to a lay audience. There are also further challenges in moving from communication to instigating actual behaviour change in this audience. In The Psychology of Pro-Environmental Communication, Christian Klöckner defines environmental communication and provides a comprehensive and up-to-date summary of the possibilities and limitations involved. This book draws on psychological theories as well as empirical findings to illustrate the links that can be made between environmental, social, cognitive, and marketing psychologies; communication theory and real life examples. Bringing together the research in environmental psychology and environmental communication, this book highlights established and innovative intervention techniques that can be used to improve and encourage pro-environmental behaviour.

Christian A. Klöckner is Professor in Social Psychology and Quantitative Methods at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. He is the author of numerous books, articles and book chapters.

Preface

1. What is Environmental Communication and Why is it Important?

2. Potential and Limitations of Environmental Communication

3. Understanding Communication - Insights from Theories of Communication

4. Decision models - What Psychological Theories Teach Us about People's Behaviour

5. Communication in Large Social Systems - How Information Spreads through Societies

6. Traditional and New Media - About Amplification and Negation

7. Target Group Segmentation - Why Knowing your Audience is Important

8. An Overview of Communication-Based Intervention Techniques

9. Promoting Pro-Environmental Behaviour in Groups and Organisations

10. Playing Good? - Environmental Communication through Games and Simulations

11. Rock Festivals, Sport Events, Theatre - Some Out-of-the-Ordinary Means of Environmental Communication