Conservation Psychology

This textbook introduces the reader to the new and emerging fieldof Conservation Psychology, which explores connections between thestudy of human behavior and the achievement of conservationgoals.People are often cast as villains in the story of environmentaldegradation, seen primarily as a threat to healthy ecosystems andan obstacle to conservation. But humans are inseparable fromnatural ecosystems. Understanding how people think about,experience, and interact with nature is crucial for promotingenvironmental sustainability as well as human well-being.The book first summarizes theory and research on human cognitive,emotional, and behavioral responses to nature and goes on to reviewresearch on people's experience of nature in wild, managed, andurban settings. Finally, it examines ways to encourageconservation-oriented behavior at both individual and societallevels. Throughout, the authors integrate a wide body of publishedliterature to demonstrate how and why psychology is relevant topromoting a more sustainable relationship between humans andnature.