Psychology Colloquium: Prof Ben Newell (UNSW)

Prof Ben Newell (UNSW)Title: The many uncertainties of climate change: A psychological perspective
Abstract: The one thing that is certain about climate change is that it is happening. The extent of its impacts, our ability to adapt, to mitigate and to plan are, however, all inherently uncertain. This is unfortunate because uncertainty can often cloud perception and undermine action. In this talk I will present work examining variants of uncertainty that have relevance for understanding psychological reactions to climate change. This includes experiments assessing how the projections of climate models are interpreted, how uncertain thresholds affect decisions in simulated climate negotiations, and how climate risk information affects judgments in simulated online property searches. The diversity of these problems highlights the challenges faced by any single discipline in addressing the challenges of climate change. I will advocate for the importance of interdisciplinary approaches and illustrate how such collaborations can precipitate policy, and ultimately behavioural change.
Bio: Ben Newell is Professor of Cognitive Psychology in the School of Psychology at UNSW Sydney, and Director of the UNSW Institute for Climate Risk & Response. His research focuses on the cognitive processes underlying judgment, choice and decision-making. His role in the new Institute is to drive an interdisciplinary research agenda bringing together expertise from behavioural science, climate science, economics, actuarial science, law and governance to address the risks and opportunities of climate change. He has published multiple articles at the intersection of psychology and climate change, with particular focus on the understanding of uncertainty and risk. Ben is lead author of the books Straight Choices: The Psychology of Decision Making, and Open Minded: A Search for Truth about the Unconscious Mind. Ben is a member of the Academic Advisory Panel of the Behavioural Economics Team of the Australian Government (BETA), and the Chief Medical Officer’s advisory group for the National Health and Climate Strategy.