BSc (Hons); MSc; PhD; FHEA
I am an applied social and environmental psychologist with expertise in understanding and assessing the public acceptance of technologies and public attitudes and responses to environmental change. I have worked in this field for over 15 years, following the completion of my PhD in the fundamentals of attitude formation and change within unfamiliar environments.
I am an experienced interdisciplinary researcher, and have collaborated with academic and non-academic partners from subjects as diverse as chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, fashion, town and regional planning, landscape and journalism. I have published over 45 journal articles, book chapters and magazine articles.
My research interests focus primarily on two key topic areas:
(1) The social acceptability and acceptance of new technologies: Particularly assessing public attitudes and behaviour towards established and emerging energy supply and demand side technology options (e.g., nuclear fission and fusion, wind power, carbon dioxide storage and utilisation, smart homes).
(2) Environmental behaviour change: Particularly assessing the factors that facilitate and inhibit action on environmental issues and the promotion of more consistent pro-environmental behaviours (e.g., compensatory beliefs and moral licensing).
Recent papers/chapters:
Cut from the same cloth? Understanding behavioural consistency in energy and clothes shopping. Handbook on Pro-Environmental Behaviour Change. ISBN1800882130, 9781800882133.
Perceptions of accountability and trust in the regulatory governance of wood burning stove sustainability: Survey evidence from the post-Brexit UK. Energy Policy. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421523001349)
Understanding public perceptions of chemical recycling: A comparative study of public attitudes towards coal and waste gasification in Germany and the United Kingdom. Sustainable Production and Consumption. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352550922000999)
A change would do you good: advances in research impact in sustainable tourism and some ‘home truths’ for the sector. Journal of Sustainable Tourism. (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09669582.2021.2000995)
University of Portsmouth: Life Solved Podcast – The power of public perception in the fight against climate change (January 2023) (https://www.port.ac.uk/news-events-and-blogs/podcasts/life-solved/the-power-of-public-perception-in-the-fight-against-climate-change-ft-dr-chris-jones)
XVII Congresso Chileno De Psychologia – The energy technology revolution: There is an important place for us (October 2023) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu7ktk9EeQs) [IN SPANISH]
FEVER project: https://fever-ev.ac.uk/
ACCESS network: https://accessnetwork.uk/
UK-HyRES project: https://ukhyres.ac.uk/
British Environmental Psychology Society (BrEPS): https://www.breps.co.uk/