Conservation Psychology: A Gap in Current Australian Undergraduate Psychology Education?

Elissa Pearson
2013 Sustainability  
Human actions have contributed to numerous environmental challenges, including climate change and a significant loss of the world's biodiversity. As the scientific study of human thought and behaviour, psychology has much to offer in better understanding these issues, as well as fostering greater sustainability in human actions. Yet, despite this recognition, and increasing calls from leaders in psychology education to produce graduates capable of applying their disciplinary knowledge to such
more » ... al-world issues to solve worldwide behaviourally-based problems; this may not be adequately addressed in current psychology training. The present study assessed the content of all APAC (Australian Psychology Accreditation Council) approved psychology programs within Australia to determine the proportion which offered a psychology-focused course (unit) specifically in conservation or sustainability. Based on the data advertised through each university website, it appears that only one of 39 programs currently offers such a course, with one other university implementing a conservation psychology course in 2013. Thus 95% of current APAC-accredited programs in Australia do not have a strong focus on training psychology graduates to contribute to addressing these important issues. The need for greater integration of conservation psychology content into undergraduate psychology education in Australia and beyond is discussed. Some course content RMIT: Psychology students are required to complete a core 1st year subject ‗sustainability: society and environment'. The course is described as being multi-disciplinary, introducing debates about sustainability at the personal and social level. The course also seeks to encourage students to relate sustainability issues to their own disciplinary area. Some course content Victoria University: Within the Bachelor of Science (Psychology) program third year elective courses are offered in ‗conservation and sustainability' and ‗environmental impacts and monitoring'. The former covers concepts and practices for sustaining biological diversity, including balancing these with social and economic needs; while the latter includes consideration of social factors responsible for environmental degradation. Some course content University of Tasmania: Offers a 2nd year elective in ‗community and environmental psychology'. The second part of the course focuses on environmental psychology including leisure and tourism, human-environment interactions, and how psychology can be applied to real-world environmental issues such as managing salinity and water use. Offers a full course University of New England: 3rd year elective course offered ‗psychology for sustainability' (see text for further details). Offers a full course University of South Australia: 2nd/3rd year elective course offered from 2013 ‗conservation psychology' (see text for further details). Currently offers a 2nd year course ‗biological and learning psychology', which provides some coverage of conservation psychology-in particular the human dimensions of wildlife and habitat conservation.
doi:10.3390/su5031266 fatcat:734phofmhbewjbl5uuv5rwbbnm