Introduction to Instructor Resources

We have organized instructor resources by traditional subdisciplines of psychology, but some topics and activities are certainly relevant to more than one subdiscipline. Each subdiscipline page includes the following components: lecture/discussion topics; class activities; multimedia resources; suggested readings for students; and references cited on the page.  A comprehensive reference list for the whole site can be accessed by clicking the "Bibilography" link in the menu bar above.

We recommend that instructors not only peruse the resources listed on the subdiscipline pages, but also look at the compendium of syllabi for additional ideas! Click on "Syllabi" in the menu bar above to access it.

Click on a subdiscipline at the left and you will be taken to the collection of relevant resources. If you prefer, follow the links in the the lists below of all lecture/discussion topics and all class activities.

LIST OF ALL LECTURE/DISCUSSION TOPICS

HISTORY & SYSTEMS

1. WILLIAM JAMES ON NONHUMAN NATURE

2. THE EVOLUTIONARY PERSPECTIVE AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

3. HISTORICAL ATTITUDES TOWARD ANIMAL RESEARCH

4. B.F. SKINNER ON ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION

5. ESTABLISHMENT OF APA DIVISION 34 (POPULATION & ENVIRONMENT)

6. THE INTELLECTUAL ROOTS OF ECOPSYCHOLOGY

7. FUTURE DIRECTIONS: CONSERVATION PSYCHOLOGY

RESEARCH METHODS

1. SCALE CONSTRUCTION: EXAMPLES RELATED TO THE ENVIRONMENT

2. ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS AND RESEARCH ON NONHUMAN ANIMALS

3. OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS AND ECOPSYCHOLOGY

BIOPSYCHOLOGY

1. NEUROTOXICITY AND BEHAVIOR

2. APPETITE, SLEEP, AND THE RESOURCE-INTENSIVE LIFESTYLE

3. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY AND BIOPHILIA

4. VISUAL PROCESSING OF NATURAL SCENES

5. THE IMPACT OF ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS ON ANIMAL BEHAVIOR

6. ANIMAL RESEARCH AND ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVISM

DEVELOPMENT

1. CHILDREN'S RELATIONSHIP WITH ANIMALS

2. CHILDREN'S FOLKBIOLOGY AND NAIVE BIOLOGY

3. CHILDREN'S MORAL REASONING ABOUT THE NATURAL WORLD

4. CHILDREN'S PREFERENCE FOR NATURAL PLAY SETTINGS

5. DEVELOPMENTAL IMPLICATIONS OF CHILDREN'S EXPERIENCES IN NATURE

6. LIVING (AND DEVELOPING) IN A MATERIAL WORLD

7. NATURE AND THE RITUAL TRANSITION THROUGH ADOLESCENCE

8. IMPACT OF LIFE EXPERIENCES ON ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION

LEARNING

1. B.F. SKINNER ON PROMOTING GREEN BEHAVIORS

2. BEHAVIORALLY BASED STRATEGIES FOR SUSTAINABILITY

3. ARE WE PREDISPOSED TO LEARN (UN)SUSTAINABLE BEHAVIORS?

COGNITION

1. COGNITIVE BIASES/HEURISTICS AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

2. RISK ASSESSMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS

3. CROSS-CULTURAL CONCEPTUALIZATIONS OF NATURE

4. IMPLICIT ASSOCIATIONS AND CONNECTEDNESS TO NATURE

5. BELIEF IN THE ANIMAL MIND: THINKING ABOUT ANIMALS THINKING

6. COGNITIVE MAPS OF OUR ENVIRONMENTS

MOTIVATION & EMOTION

1. LOVE IT AND/OR HATE IT: AFFECTIVE EVALUATIONS OF WILDERNESS

2. WHAT MOTIVATES VEGETARIANISM?

3. RELATIVE DEPRIVATION IN THE MATERIAL WORLD

4. WHAT MOTIVATES VOLUNTARY SIMPLICITY?

5. AFFECT AND CONSERVATION: DO WE PROTECT WHAT WE LIKE?

6. EMOTION IN NONHUMAN ANIMALS

INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES

1. IS NATURE-CONNECTEDNESS A TRAIT?

2. HOWARD GARDNER'S "NATURALIST INTELLIGENCE"

3. SEX-RELATED DIFFERENCES IN ENVIRONMENTAL ATTITUDES & BEHAVIORS

4. THE "ANIMAL LOVER" PERSONALITY?

5. THE MATERIALISTIC VALUES ORIENTATION

6. RIGHT-WING AUTHORITARIANISM AND GREEN JUSTICE

SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

1. THE GAP BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS

2. SOCIAL NORMS AND SUSTAINABLE BEHAVIORS

3. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AS SOCIAL DILEMMAS

4. SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF "ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS"

5. ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM

6. SOCIAL IDENTITY AND SUSTAINABILITY: IS IT EASY BEING GREEN?

DISTRESS & WELLNESS

1. ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS

2. ECOPSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON MENTAL HEALTH

3. WILDERNESS THERAPY

4. MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF COMPANION ANIMALS

5. POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY

ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

1. ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY IS NOT ALL GREEN

2. LANDSCAPE PREFERENCES & RESTORATIVE ENVIRONMENTS

3. ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS AND URBAN GREENSPACE

4. GREEN BUILDING DESIGN

5. NOT-SO-NATURAL DISASTERS & TECHNOLOGICAL CATASTROPHES

ECOPSYCHOLOGY

1. RECIPROCITY IN HUMAN-EARTH WELLBEING

2. BIOPHILIA HYPOTHESIS

3. SENSE OF PLACE

4. MINDFULNESS

5. WILDERNESS AS HOME

6. CONSPICUOUS CONSUMPTION VS. SUSTAINABLE LIVING

7. PHENOMENOLOGY AND EMPIRICISM IN ECOPSYCHOLOGY

CONSERVATION PSYCHOLOGY

1. WHAT IS CONSERVATION PSYCHOLOGY?

2. CAN PSYCHOLOGY HELP SAVE THE WORLD?

3. WHAT IS "SUSTAINABILITY"?

LIST OF ALL CLASS ACTIVITIES

HISTORY & SYSTEMS

1. PRESENTATION/PAPER ON ENVIRONMENTALLY-RELATED SUBDISCIPLINE

2. ENVIRONMENTAL BIOGRAPHY OF A PSYCHOLOGIST

RESEARCH METHODS

1. THINKING CRITICALLY (W/ PENN & TELLER) ABOUT "ENVIRONMENTAL HYSTERIA"

2. EVALUATING THE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT AS A MEASUREMENT TOOL

3. ORIGINAL RESEARCH PROJECT ON HUMANS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

BIOPSYCHOLOGY

1. MEASURING AROUSAL IN RESPONSE TO NATURE

DEVELOPMENT

1. INTERVIEWING CHILDREN ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT

2. NATURE AUTOBIOGRAPHY/SIGNIFICANT LIFE EXPERIENCE ESSAY

3. INTERVIEWING A SIGNIFICANT OTHER ABOUT NATURE CONNECTIONS

4. FUN WITH FURBY

5. THE LORAX AND THE WUMPS

LEARNING

1. LEARNING TO RECYCLE

2. VISITING "WALDEN TWO" COMMUNITIES

3. REFLECTIONS ON LEARNED NATURE AVERSION

COGNITION

1. ILLUSTRATING HEURISTICS/BIASES WITH ENVIRONMENTAL CONTENT

2. EXPLORING HOW WE CONCEPTUALIZE "NATURE"

3. VISUAL IMAGES AND OUR COGNITIONS ABOUT NATURE

4. ENVIRONMENTAL DECISIONS: MAKING HIDDEN COSTS SALIENT

5. SKETCH MAPS AND ENVIRONMENTAL ATTITUDES

MOTIVATION & EMOTION

1. ASSESSING AFFECT TOWARD NONHUMAN NATURE

INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES

1. INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL ATTITUDES & BEHAVIORS

SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

1. EXPLORING THE ENVIRONMENTAL ATTITUDE-BEHAVIOR LINK

2. SOCIAL DILEMMA EXERCISES

3. CONTENT ANALYSIS OF (ANTI)ENVIRONMENTAL MESSAGES

4. COMMUNITY-BASED SOCIAL MARKETING IN ACTION

DISTRESS & WELLNESS

1. MEASURING THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN HAPPINESS AND MATERIALISM

2. REFLECTIONS ON THE WILDERNESS EFFECT

ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

1. NATURE AT THE SHOPPING MALL

2. DESIGN A ZOO EXHIBIT

ECOPSYCHOLOGY

1. INCREASING PERCEPTUAL AWARENESS

2. THE COUNCIL OF ALL BEINGS

3. PRACTICING EARTH-LIVING SKILLS

4. ADOPTING AN EMPIRICAL APPROACH TO ECOPSYCHOLOGY

CONSERVATION PSYCHOLOGY

1. REVIEWING PSYCHOLOGY LITERATURE ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

2. READING ISHMAEL AS A CONSERVATION PSYCHOLOGIST

3. REFLECTING ON MY ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT

4. THINKING GLOBALLY, ACTING PERSONALLY

5. IMPROVING MY CORNER OF THE WORLD