COOL CLASSES: “Environmental Psychology and Conservation”

This psychology course examins the links between the natural environment and people’s behavior using lenses of cognitive, social, and personality psychology, with a focus on conservation behavior and environmentalism.

Class name: “Environmental Psychology and Conservation”

Taught by: Associate Professor of Psychology Benjamin Le

Here’s what Le had to say about his class:

 

Very broadly, we’re covering topics related to how the natural and built environments impact people and their behavior, in terms of well-being and other psychological process; how individuals’ behavior impacts the environment; and how psychology can answer help us understand those behaviors and promote sustainability. The seminar emphasizes the role of psychological theory and relies on both the primary empirical literature and professional reviews to explore how the environment impacts psychological process as well as the utility of psychology in promoting pro-environmental behavior.

I’m not thinking of this as my class. Instead it’s our seminar, and I view my role primarily as a facilitator for exploration of this literature together. I’ve attempted to design a framework that identifies interesting topics and provides the flexibility for us to dig into the material that we find most interesting.

Environmental Studies is a relatively new minor at Haverford that has proven to be very popular with our students. My goal is to bridge that minor with the Psychology Department to explore the synergies between these two programs.

 

See what other courses the Psychology Department is offering this semester.

Cool Classes is a series that highlights interesting, unusual, and unique courses that enrich the Haverford experience.