Phd Studentship: Exploring awe’s effects on pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours

Awe is a transformative emotion associated with increased wellbeing and pro-sociality. However, because intense awe experiences are rare and hard to manipulate, awe’s potential remains largely untapped.

This project will test the potential of awe for promoting pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours. We are interested to know to what extent incidental (unrelated to the environment, e.g., awe at the beauty of historic buildings) and integral (related to the environment, e.g., awe at the beauty of nature) awe experiences can promote pro-environmental attitudes, intentions and behaviour.

We will support the successful PhD candidate with a wide range of methodologies for eliciting awe: from emotion recall, through immersive videos, to dynamic awe-inspiring nature scenes experienced in a VR laboratory. Through our local stakeholder contacts you will gain access to community samples experiencing awe during nature and historic walks in the city of Bath. We are also working with eminent natural history filmmakers who have experience in eliciting awe to transform human understanding of nature.  Our expert team will guide you with our extensive experience of measuring and promoting pro-environmental attitudes, intentions and behaviour, and in the use of a range of quantitative research methods.

The successful candidate will be based in the Open Mind Lab led by Dr. Gosia Gocłowska, and in the Social and Cultural Cognition Group, receiving support and  training from academics who are internationally leading in their field and are committed to scientific excellence. They will further benefit from both supervisors’ extensive international networks of research collaborators, and possibilities to visit relevant research labs abroad (e.g., Italy, Netherlands, United States).

To apply, you need to have obtained, or be about to obtain, a First or Upper Second-Class degree and/or a Master’s degree in psychology or similar. You should be confident in  experimental research and motivated to further your statistical and analytical skills. Demonstrating an interest in either (1) environmental attitudes or (2) advanced quantitative methods might increase the chances of success for your SWDTP application. For informal inquiries please contact Dr. Gosia Goclowska (mag86@bath.ac.uk). Please get in touch as soon as you become interested in the project. The sooner you reach out, the better.

Relevant papers:

https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/emo0001013 

https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000665

https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000876

 [GM1]I was just approached to take part in a panel for an international network of natural history filmmakers and think this could be a good connection.

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