Robert Gifford

My research interests are at the interface of environmental, social, and personality psychology. I try to combine all three areas in studies of resource management, social judgment and cognition, nonverbal behaviour, and the perception of architecture. I also develop tools to measure personality, environmental, and social constructs. My goal is to combine these interests into studies that simultaneously advance theory and improve built and natural environments.

My lab, the Environmental, Social and Personality Psychology Lab, mainly focuses on environmental, social, and personality psychology, but is firmly committed to the idea that understanding and solving scientific and societal problems also requires knowledge and expertise from other social sciences, natural sciences, applied sciences, and policy experts.

For more information, see my Expertise Database profile.

Interests

• Environmental
• Social
• Personality

Representative Publications

Gifford, R., Lacroix, K., & Chen, A. (2018). Understanding responses to climate change: Psychological barriers to mitigation and a new theory of behavioural choice (p. 161-184). In Clayton, S. & Manning, C. (Eds.). Psychology and climate change: Human perceptions, impacts, and responses. New York: Academic.

Scannell, L., & Gifford, R. (2017). The experienced psychological benefits of place attachment. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 51, 256-269.

Gifford, R. (Ed.) (2016). Research methods for environmental psychology. New York: Wiley.

Gifford, R. (2014). Environmental psychology: principles and practice (5th ed.) Colville, WA: Optimal Books.