Psychology’s Contributions to Under

Psychology’s Contributions to Understanding and
Addressing Global Climate Change
Janet K. Swim Pennsylvania State University
Paul C. Stern National Research Council
Thomas J. Doherty Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and
Counseling
Susan Clayton College of Wooster
Joseph P. Reser Griffith University
Elke U. Weber Columbia University
Robert Gifford University of Victoria
George S. Howard University of Notre Dame
Global climate change poses one of the greatest challenges
facing humanity in this century. This article, which introduces
the American Psychologist special issue on global
climate change, follows from the report of the American
Psychological Association Task Force on the Interface
Between Psychology and Global Climate Change. In this
article, we place psychological dimensions of climate
change within the broader context of human dimensions of
climate change by addressing (a) human causes of, consequences
of, and responses (adaptation and mitigation) to
climate change and (b) the links between these aspects of
climate change and cognitive, affective, motivational, interpersonal,
and organizational responses and processes.
Characteristics of psychology that cross content domains
and that make the field well suited for providing an understanding
of climate change and addressing its challenges
are highlighted. We also consider ethical imperatives for
psychologists’ involvement and provide suggestions for
ways to increase psychologists’ contribution to the science
of climate change.
Keywords: climate change, interdisciplinary research, human–
environment relations, sustainability, psychological
dimensions Global climate change poses one of the greatest
challenges facing humanity in this century.
Earth’s climate has changed in many ways over
geological time, but for the first time, over the past century,
human activity has become a significant cause of climate
change. By burning fossil fuels, cutting and burning forests,
and engaging in other environment-impacting activities,
humans have changed the heat balance of Earth sufficiently
that the global average temperature has moved
outside the range that has characterized the 10,000 years of
recorded human history (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change, 2007a). This climate change “poses significant
risks for—and in many cases is already affecting—a
broad range of human and natural systems” (National Research
Council, 2010a, p. 2). Because of physical time lags
in the climate system, the impacts and human consequences
of climate change will continue for many decades
and, in some cases, many centuries (Solomon, Plattner,
Knutti, & Friedlingstein, 2009). Moreover, climate change
will take place in the context of the other sweeping social,
technological, and ecological transitions of the 21st century
(e.g., increases in population, urbanization, and disparities
in wealth; Stokols, Misra, Runnerstrom & Hipp, 2009),
making confident anticipation of its effects especially problematic.
The current state of scientific knowledge on the
causes and consequences of climate change is summarized
in two recent major studies (Karl, Melillo, & Peterson,
2009; National Research Council, 2010a).
Climate change is sometimes equated with global
warming, but it involves much more than temperature
change. The human activities that cause temperature
change set in motion a series of associated phenomena: sea
level rise, loss of polar sea ice, melting of continental
glaciers, changes in precipitation patterns, progressive
shifting in the habitats of species and the boundaries of
ecosystems, acidification of the oceans, and more (Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change, 2007a, 2007b;
National Research Council, 2010b). These changes and
impacts in turn create increasing risks to the planet’s life
Janet K. Swim, Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University;
Paul C. Stern, Committee on the Human Dimensions of Global
Change, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,
National Research Council, Washington, DC; Thomas J. Doherty, Department
of Counseling Psychology, Lewis & Clark Graduate School of
Education and Counseling; Susan Clayton, Department of Psychology,
College of Wooster; Joseph P. Reser, School of Psychology, Griffith
University, Gold Coast Campus, Queensland, Australia; Elke U. Weber,
Department of Psychology and Center for Research on Environmental
Decisions, Graduate School of Business, Columbia University; Robert
Gifford, Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, Victoria,
British Columbia, Canada; George S. Howard, Department of Psychology,
University of Notre Dame.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Janet
K. Swim, Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, 515
Moore Building, University Park, PA 16802-3106. E-mail: [e-mail]
May–June 2011 ● American Psychologist 241
© 2011 American Psychological Association 0003-066X/11/$12.00
Vol. 66, No. 4, 241–250 DOI: 10.1037/a0023220
support systems and to a myriad of species, including
humankind.
The natural sciences have long been engaged in studying
environmental systems, including the physical and
chemical processes that change Earth’s heat balance, the
ways in which these processes affect other parts of the
global climate system, and the consequences of all these
changes for physical and biological processes on land and
in the waters. However, a second science of climate change
has been developing for over a quarter of a century: the
science of the “human dimensions” of climate change
(Chen, Boulding, & Schneider 1983; National Research
Council, 1992; Stern, 1993). This field of science seeks to
understand human activities that affect climate change,
consequences of climate change that directly and indirectly
affect people, human responses to anticipated and experienced
climate change, and ways to help people respond
effectively. Psychological dimensions are integral to human
dimensions of climate change and have been a part of
broader efforts by psychologists, perhaps most noticeably
environmental psychologists, over the course of several
decades to understand and address a range of environmental
changes and problems (e.g., Gardner & Stern, 2002;
Koger & Winter, 2010; Nickerson, 2003; Schmuck &
Schultz, 2002; Swim, Markowitz, & Bloodhart, in press). A
summary of relevant psychological research was provided
in the report of the American Psychological Association
Task Force on the Interface Between Psychology and
Global Climate Change (2009). The articles in this special
issue follow from this task force report. The present article
provides an overview of these articles, a model that integrates
this literature with the broader literature on human
dimensions of climate change, and some general suggestions
for psychologists who wish to contribute in this area.
A simple conceptual model distinguishes climate systems
(which are part of environmental systems) from human
systems and delineates the connections among them
(see Figure 1). As noted on the left-hand side of the figure,
people affect climate through activities (e.g., burning fossil
fuels, clearing forests) that directly alter environmental
conditions that change the climate. These activities, which
have been called proximate human causes of climate
change, are a result of a full range of cultural, economic,
political, and social conditions and processes, depicted as
“human systems” in the figure, and of psychological considerations
noted in the middle of the figure, which include
human understanding of climate change, affective responses
to climate change, and psychological motivations.
Psychological considerations are often and appropriately
treated as part of human systems. We separate them here to
highlight them for a psychological audience. As depicted
on the right-hand side of the figure, climate systems affect
people through events that directly alter essential aspects of
the environment that support humans and other living
things, for example, by changing the frequency of storms
and droughts, the availability of water, the viability of food
crops, and the incidence of disease. Human consequences
are also both psychological (e.g., distress) and social (e.g.,
intergroup relations) and are influenced by intra-individual
cognitive, affective, and motivational processes as well as
human systems at a larger scale. Responses to anticipated
and experienced climate change are mitigation and adaptation,
as depicted in the bottom left and right corners of the
figure. Efforts to mitigate or limit climate change are aimed
at directly or indirectly altering the proximate causes of
climate change. Adapting to climate change includes addressing
the psychological and social impacts of both the
threat and the unfolding consequences of climate change.
Cognitive, affective, and motivational processes affect mitigation
and adaptation via the influence of psychological
processes on human contributions, systems, and consequences.
The direct and indirect impacts of these psychological
processes on many of the elements shown in the
figure illustrate that human dimensions of climate change
are inherently psychological and social and that psychology
can offer knowledge and concepts that can help explain the
human understanding, causes, and consequences of climate
change as well as inform responses to it and help make
them more effective.
What Does Psychology Have to
Offer?
Over the past three decades, a number of research agendas
have been developed for the human dimensions of global
change, including climate change (e.g., Chen et al., 1983;
Kates, Ausubel, & Berberian, 1985; National Research
Figure 1
Human and Psychological Dimensions of Climate
Change
Note. Adapted from Figure 4-1 (p. 106) in Global Environmental Change:
Understanding the Human Dimensions (by National Research Council, 1992,
Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences. Copyright 1992 by National
Academy of Sciences.

Hasil (Bahasa Indonesia) 1:

Psikologi kontribusi terhadap pemahaman danMengatasi perubahan iklim GlobalJanet K. berenang Pennsylvania State UniversityPaul C. Stern National Research CouncilThomas J. Doherty Lewis & Clark lulus sekolah pendidikan danKonselingSusan Clayton College of WoosterUniversitas Griffith Reser Joseph P.Universitas Columbia Weber Elke U.Robert Gifford Universitas VictoriaGeorge S. Howard University of Notre DamePerubahan iklim global menimbulkan salah satu tantangan terbesarmenghadapi kemanusiaan dalam abad ini. Artikel ini, yang memperkenalkanAmerican psikolog edisi khusus pada globalperubahan iklim, berikut dari laporan AmericanGugus tugas Psychological Association pada antarmukaAntara psikologi dan perubahan iklim Global. Dalam hal iniArtikel, kami menempatkan dimensi psikologis iklimberubah dalam konteks yang lebih luas dari dimensi manusiaperubahan iklim dengan membahas () manusia penyebab, konsekuensidan tanggapan (adaptasi dan mitigasi) untukperubahan iklim dan (b) hubungan antara aspek-aspekperubahan iklim dan kognitif, afektif, motivasi, interpersonal,dan organisasi tanggapan dan proses.Karakteristik dari psikologi yang melintasi konten domaindan itu membuat bidang cocok untuk memberikan pemahamanperubahan iklim dan mengatasi tantanganyang disorot. Kami juga mempertimbangkan etika keharusan untukketerlibatan psikolog dan memberikan saran untukcara untuk meningkatkan kontribusi psikolog ilmuperubahan iklim.Kata kunci: perubahan iklim, penelitian interdisipliner, manusia-hubungan lingkungan, keberlanjutan, psikologisdimensi perubahan iklim Global menimbulkan salah satu yang terbesartantangan yang dihadapi umat manusia pada abad ini.Iklim bumi telah berubah dalam banyak cara selamawaktu geologi, tetapi untuk pertama kalinya, selama abad,kegiatan manusia telah menjadi penyebab signifikan iklimperubahan. Oleh pembakaran bahan bakar fosil, memotong dan pembakaran hutan,dan terlibat dalam kegiatan lainnya mempengaruhi lingkungan,manusia telah mengubah keseimbangan panas bumi cukupbahwa rata-rata suhu global telah pindahdi luar jangkauan yang telah ditandai 10.000 tahunsejarah manusia (Panel Antarpemerintah tentang iklimPerubahan, 2007a). Perubahan iklim ini "pose signifikanrisiko untuk — dan dalam banyak kasus sudah mempengaruhi —berbagai macam sistem manusia dan alam"(penelitian NasionalDewan, 2010a, ms. 2). Karena fisik waktu kelambatandalam sistem iklim, dampak dan konsekuensi manusiaiklim perubahan akan terus selama beberapa dekadedan, dalam beberapa kasus, berabad-abad (Salomo, Plattner,Knutti, & Friedlingstein, 2009). Selain itu, perubahan iklimakan berlangsung dalam konteks yang lain menyapu sosial,teknologi, dan ekologi transisi abad ke-21(misalnya, peningkatan populasi, urbanisasi dan kesenjangandiantara kekayaan; Stokols, Misra, Runnerstrom & Hipp, 2009),membuat yakin mengantisipasi efek sangat bermasalah.Keadaan saat ini pengetahuan ilmiahpenyebab dan konsekuensi dari perubahan iklim diringkasdalam dua penelitian utama hari (Karl, Melillo, & Peterson,2009; National Research Council, 2010a).Perubahan iklim kadang-kadang disamakan dengan globalpemanasan, tapi itu melibatkan jauh lebih banyak daripada suhuperubahan. Kegiatan manusia yang menyebabkan suhuperubahan diatur dalam gerak serangkaian terkait fenomena: lauttingkat kenaikan, penurunan es laut kutub mencair benuagletser, perubahan dalam pola curah hujan, progresifWind habitat dari spesies dan batas-batasekosistem, pengasaman Samudra, dan lebih (IntergovernmentalPanel tentang perubahan iklim, 2007a, 2007b;National Research Council, 2010b). Perubahan ini dandampak pada gilirannya menciptakan peningkatan risiko untuk kehidupan planetJanet K. Swim, jurusan psikologi, Pennsylvania State University;Paul C. Stern, Komite dimensi manusia globalPerubahan, Divisi perilaku dan ilmu-ilmu sosial dan pendidikan,National Research Council, Washington, DC; Thomas J. Doherty, Departemenkonseling psikologi, Lewis & Sekolah Pascasarjana ClarkPendidikan dan konseling; Susan Clayton, jurusan psikologi,College Wooster; Joseph P. Reser, sekolah psikologi GriffithUniversitas, kampus Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia; Elke U. Weber,Jurusan psikologi dan pusat penelitian lingkunganKeputusan, Graduate School of Business, Universitas Columbia; RobertGifford, jurusan psikologi, University of Victoria, Victoria,British Columbia, Kanada; George S. Howard, jurusan psikologi,Universitas Notre Dame.Korespondensi tentang artikel ini harus ditujukan kepada JanetK. berenang, jurusan psikologi, Pennsylvania State University, 515Moore Building, University Park, PA 16802-3106. E-mail: [e-mail] – Juni 2011 ● Amerika psikolog 241© 2011 American Psychological Association 0003-066X/11/$12.00Vol. 66, No.4, 241-250 DOI: 10.1037 a0023220sistem dukungan dan sejumlah spesies, termasukmanusia.Ilmu-ilmu alam telah lama terlibat dalam belajarsistem lingkungan, termasuk fisik danproses kimia yang mengubah keseimbangan panas bumi,cara di mana proses ini mempengaruhi bagian lainsistem iklim global, dan konsekuensi dari semua iniperubahan untuk proses fisik dan biologi tanah dandi perairan. Namun, kedua ilmu iklim mengubahtelah mengembangkan untuk lebih dari seperempat abad:ilmu "dimensi manusia" perubahan iklim(Chen, Boulding, & Schneider 1983; Riset NasionalDewan, 1992; Stern, 1993). Bidang ini ilmu pengetahuan berusaha untukmemahami kegiatan manusia yang mempengaruhi perubahan iklim,akibat dari iklim mengubah itu secara langsung dan tidak langsungmempengaruhi orang-orang, manusia responses to diantisipasi dan berpengalamanperubahan iklim, dan cara untuk membantu orang-orang yang menanggapisecara efektif. Dimensi psikologis integral kepada manusiadimensi iklim perubahan dan telah menjadi bagian dariupaya yang lebih luas oleh psikolog, mungkin yang paling terasapsikolog lingkungan, selama beberapadekade untuk memahami dan mengatasi berbagai lingkunganperubahan dan masalah (misalnya, Gardner & Stern, 2002;Koger & musim dingin, 2010; Nickerson, 2003; Bodoh &Schultz, 2002; Berenang, Markowitz, & Bloodhart, pers). Aringkasan penelitian psikologis yang relevan yang diberikandalam laporan dari American Psychological AssociationSatuan tugas antarmuka antara psikologi danPerubahan iklim global (2009). Artikel khusus inimasalah mengikuti dari laporan satuan tugas ini. Pasalmemberikan ikhtisar tentang artikel ini, model yang terintegrasiliteratur ini dengan literatur yang lebih luas pada manusiadimensi dari perubahan iklim, dan beberapa saran umumpsikolog yang ingin berkontribusi di daerah ini.Model konseptual sederhana membedakan sistem iklim(yang adalah bagian dari sistem lingkungan) dari manusiasistem dan delineates hubungan antara mereka(Lihat gambar 1). Seperti yang dicatatkan di sebelah kiri gambar,orang mempengaruhi iklim melalui kegiatan (misalnya, pembakaran fosilbahan bakar, membersihkan hutan) yang langsung mengubah lingkungankondisi yang mengubah iklim. Kegiatan ini, yangtelah dipanggil Proksimat manusia penyebab iklimmengubah, adalah hasil dari berbagai budaya, ekonomi,politik, dan sosial kondisi dan proses, digambarkan sebagai"sistem manusia" dalam angka, dan pertimbangan psikologismencatat di tengah angka, yang meliputipemahaman manusia iklim mengubah, afektif tanggapanuntuk perubahan iklim, dan motivasi psikologis.Pertimbangan psikologis yang sering dan tepatdiperlakukan sebagai bagian dari sistem manusia. Kita memisahkan mereka di sini untukmenyoroti mereka untuk audiens psikologis. Seperti yang digambarkandi sebelah kanan gambar, sistem iklim mempengaruhiorang-orang melalui peristiwa yang langsung mengubah aspek-aspek pentinglingkungan yang mendukung manusia dan makhluk hidup lainnyahal-hal, misalnya, dengan mengubah frekuensi badaidan kekeringan, ketersediaan air, kelangsungan hidup makanantanaman, dan kejadian penyakit. Konsekuensi manusiakeduanya juga psikologis (misalnya, penderitaan) dan sosial (misalnya,hubungan antarkelompok) dan dipengaruhi oleh intra individuproses kognitif, afektif dan motivasi sertasistem manusia pada skala yang lebih besar. Tanggapan diantisipasidan perubahan iklim berpengalaman mitigasi dan adaptasi,seperti digambarkan di kiri bawah dan sudut kananangka. Upaya-upaya untuk mengurangi atau membatasi perubahan iklim yang ditujukan untukdi langsung atau tidak langsung mengubah penyebab terdekatperubahan iklim. Adaptasi terhadap perubahan iklim termasuk menanganidampak psikologis dan sosial dari keduaancaman dan konsekuensi berlangsung iklim berubah.Proses kognitif, afektif dan motivasi mempengaruhi mitigasidan adaptasi melalui pengaruh psikologisproses manusia kontribusi, sistem dan konsekuensi.Langsung dan tidak langsung dampak psikologis iniproses pada banyak unsur-unsur yang ditampilkan dalamgambar mengilustrasikan bahwa dimensi manusia perubahan ikliminheren psikologis dan sosial dan psikologi yangdapat menawarkan pengetahuan dan konsep-konsep yang bisa membantu menjelaskanpemahaman manusia, penyebab dan akibat dari iklimmengubah serta menginformasikan tanggapan untuk itu dan membantu membuatmereka lebih efektif.Apa psikologi harusMenawarkan?Selama tiga dekade, sejumlah agenda penelitiantelah dikembangkan untuk dimensi manusia globalperubahan, termasuk perubahan iklim (misalnya, Chen et al., 1983;Kates, Ausubel & Berberian, 1985; Riset NasionalGambar 1Dimensi manusia dan psikologis iklimPerubahanCatatan. Disadur dari gambar 4-1 (ms. 106) dalam perubahan lingkungan Global:Memahami dimensi manusia (oleh National Research Council, 1992,Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences. Copyright 1992 oleh NasionalAcademy of Sciences.