Human behavior, while responsible for many of our environmental problems, also represents the means by which strategies and policies to prevent continued and future environmental problems will more readily succeed.
My research applies social psychological theory and methods to understand environmental and social problems and suggest solutions, primarily through social influence and behavior change. At a theoretical level, I am interested in social cognitive processes, individual differences in these processes, and the processes of normative influence. Currently, my scholarship encompasses the human dimensions of natural resource management within an applied social-ecological framework. I draw extensively on research methods in the social, conservation, and environmental psychology fields to investigate factors that shape individual and group behavior related to resource use and engagement in conservation and proenvironmental behaviors. I am particularly interested in social influence and norms, both social and personal, and their practical application. My dissertation focuses on the use of normative social influence to promote aquatic invasive species mitigation practices and develop policy and management practices in Texas. In the future, I plan to expand my scholarship into the fields of environmental policy and applied social marketing.
Please contact me for my complete CV, or if you have any questions regarding my research or have similar research projects, collaborations, or interest (wallen003@tamu.edu)
Check out some of my favorites related to my research & scholarship:
- Human Dimension of Natural Resources Lab
- National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center
- American Climber Science Program
- Applied Biodiversity Science Perspectives Series
- Department of Recreation, Park, & Tourism Science
- SavePangolins.org
- Manchester United FC
Research Interests
Social, conservation, and environmental psychology research focused on:
- Human dimensions of natural resources and ecosystem management
- Normative influence (social and personal), social norm approaches, and persuasion
- Applied biodiversity conservation, management, and policy
- Community-based social marketing and applied social marketing
- Collaborative research to Integrate and synthesize social-ecological systems data and better understand the contemporary human-environmental relationship.
