Sonja Geiger

As an environmental psychologist, I am interested in people’s interaction with their environment. This includes nature’s impact on our psychological health and well-being as well as people’s impact on the state of their environment. I have written my Habilitation (German professorial thesis) in the latter area, researching psychological aspects that motivate people to live a low-carbon and environmentally friendly lifestyle, and how these aspects can be targeted in engaging and inspiring behavioural interventions. To this end, I have e.g. conducted research projects that investigated how mindfulness practice or leading a de-accelerated, time-rich life are related to less resource-intensive consumption habits, or how VR experiences of the Amazon rainforest can enhance our sense of connectedness to nature. Lately, my interest has turned to the broader picture of how psychological insights into behavioural change (or lack thereof) can and should inform ongoing efforts for systemic changes via policymaking or urban planning.