Psychology - Environmental Psychology

How can psychology help us understand and address major environmental challenges like climate change and the energy transition? Help drive change in human behaviour and build more sustainable systems!

In this master's track, taught by the world-leading Environmental Psychology group at the University of Groningen you get to explore how human behaviour interacts with environmental change and what motivates people to act sustainably. You will learn to apply psychological theories, research methods, and behavioural insights to address real environmental challenges and contribute to just and lasting transitions.

This means you will:

• Examine how natural and built environments affect well-being and behaviour, and how people's actions impact environmental quality
• Analyse contradictions and emerging questions in environmental psychology, such as spillover effects and the balance between theory and impact
• Learn how to translate psychological insights into practical solutions for challenges in energy use, climate adaptation, and social change
• Gain hands-on experience with operationalising psychological constructs, choosing research designs, and writing a study proposal based on your own question
• Work in diverse teams and engage with experts from government, NGOs and industry to develop integrative policy briefs and recommendations
• Apply your knowledge in practice in your internship and master's thesis project in which you design, evaluate or advise on behavioural solutions for sustainability.