Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A Psychological Perspective on Climate Stress in Coastal India

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Climate Change, Human Security and Violent Conflict

Part of the book series: Hexagon Series on Human and Environmental Security and Peace ((HSHES,volume 8))

Abstract

We (psychologists) must seek out and interact with the other sustainability science players. We must tell the economists, technologists, and climate modellers what psychology can do. The climate scientists are merely the messengers, the technologists merely make machines, and the economists still think largely in terms of pricing. Without the help of psychological science, these disciplines, although valuable in their own ways, will not be able to ameliorate the impacts of climate change (Gifford 2008: 279)

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Adeola, F., 2000: “Endangered community, enduring people: Toxic contamination, health, and adaptive responses in a local context”, in: Environment and Behavior, 32: 209–249.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aggarwal, D.; Lal, M., 2000: “Vulnerability of Indian Coastline to Sea Level Rise”, Paper for the proceedings of the APN/SURVAS/LOICZ Joint Conference on Coastal Impacts of Climate Change and Adaptation in the Asia-Pacific Region, Kobe, 14–16 November 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  • Agyeman, J.; Devin, E.; Wright, P.; Prange, J., 2009: “Close to the edge, down by the river? Joining up managed retreat and place attachment in a climate changed world”, in: Environment and Planning A, 41: 509–513.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Agyeman, J. Bullard, R.; Evans, B., 2003: Just sustainabilities: Development in an unequal World (London: Earthscan/The MIT Press).

    Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association (APA), 42000: Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 4th ed., text revision (Washington, DC: APA).

    Google Scholar 

  • Anable, J.; Lane, B.; Kelay, T., 2005: Review of Public Attitudes to Climate Change and Transport: Summary Report. Evidence Base Review of Public Attitudes to Climate Change and Travel Behaviour (The UK Department for Transport): 4.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, C. A., 2001: “Heat and violence”, in: Current Directions in Psychological Science, 101: 33–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • APA, 2009: Psychology & global climate change-addressing a multifaceted phenomenon and set of challenges; at: <http://www.apa.org/science/about/publications/climate-change.aspx > (9 October 2009).

  • Barlow, D. H., 22002: Anxiety and its disorders (New York: The Guilford Press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnett, J., 2005: “Titanic states’ Impacts and responses to climate change in the Pacific islands”, in: Journal of International Affairs, 59: 203–219.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnett, J.; Adger W.N., 2003: “Climate Dangers and Atoll Countries”, in: Climatic Change, 61. 321–337.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bell, P. A.; Greene, T. C.; Fisher, J. D.; Baum, A., 52001: Environmental psychology (Fort Worth: Harcourt College Publishers)

    Google Scholar 

  • Blakemore, B., 2005: The Psychology of Global Warming: Alarmist Versus Alarming. ABC News. 8 December 2005; at: <http://www.trusthout.org/cgi-bin:/artman/exec/view.cgi/34/16113 > (15 January 2008).

  • Bonnes, M.; Bonaiuto, M., 2002: “Environmental psychology: From spatial-physical environment to sustain: able development”, in: Bechtel, R.B.; Churchman, A. (Eds.): Handbook of environmental psychology (New York: Wiley): 28–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bostrom, A.; Lashof, D., 2007: “Weather or climate change?”, in: Moser, S. C.; Dilling, L. (Eds.): Creating a Climate for Change: Communicating Climate Change and Facilitating Social Change (Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press): 31–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brklacich, M.; Chazan, M.; Dawe, A., 2007: “Vulnerabilities of societies under Global Environmental Change GEC”, in: Tiessen, H.; Brklacich, M.; Breulmann, G.; Menezes, R.S.C. (Eds.): Communicating global change science to society (Washington, DC: Island Press): 73–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brook, A. T.; Graham, A. 2009: “Effects of ecological footprint feedback and environmental contingency of self–worth on environmental behavior” (Unpublished).

    Google Scholar 

  • Cialdini, R. B.; Reno, R. R.; Kallgren, C. A., 1990: “A focus theory normative conduct: Recycling the concept of norms to reduce littering in public places”, in: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58: 1015–1026.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton, S.; Brook, A., 2005: “Can psychology help save the world? A model for conservation psychology”, in: Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy (ASAP), 51: 87–102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton, S.; Opotow, S. (Eds.), 2003: Identity and the Natural Environment (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Cruz, R.V.; Harasawa, H.; Lal, M.; Wu, S.; Anokhin, Y.; Punsalmaa, B.; Honda, Y.; Jafari, M.; Li, C.; Huu, Ninh, N., 2007: Asia. Climate Change. Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, UK): 469–506.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Young, R., 1996: “Some psychological aspects of reduced consumption behavior: The role of intrinsic satisfaction and competence motivation”, in: Environment and Behavior, 283: 358–409.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doppelt, B., 2008: The power of sustainable thinking (London: Earthscan)

    Google Scholar 

  • DuNannWinter, D.; Koger, S. M., 2004: The psychology of environmental problems (Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum)

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunwoody, S. 2007: “The challenge of trying to make a difference using media messages”, in: Moser, S. C.; Dilling, L. (Eds.): Creating a climate for change (New York: Cambridge University Press): 89–104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edelstein, M. R., 2002: “Contamination: The invisible built environment”, in: Bechtel, R. B.; Churchman, A. (Eds.): Handbook of environmental psychology (New York: Wiley): 559–588.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edelstein, M. R.; Makofske, W. J., 1998: Radon’s deadly daughters: Science, environmental policy, and the politics of risk (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ehrhardt-Martinez, 2007: “Changing Human Behavior to Reduce Climate Change: Moving Beyond the Techno-Economic Model”; at: <http://www.e3network.org/Ehrhardt-Martinez_8.pdf > (27 May 2009)

  • Fankhauser, S., 1994: “Protection vs retreat—the economic costs of sea level rise”, in: Environment and Planning A, 27: 299–319.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Few, R., 2007: “Health and climatic hazards: Framing social research on vulnerability, response and adaptation”, in: Global Environmental Change, 17, 281–295.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Förster, J.; Liberman, N., 2007: “Knowledge activation”, in: Kruglanski, A.W.; Higgins, E. T. (Eds.): Social psychology: Handbook of basic principles 2nd ed. (New York: The Guildford Press): 201–231.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foderaro, L. W., 2008: “Pint-size eco-police, making parents proud and sometimes crazy”, in: The New York Times; at: <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/10/nyregion/10green.html > (June 15 2009).

  • Fritze, J. G.; Blashki, G. A.; Burke, S.; Wiseman, J., 2008: “Hope, despair and transformation: Climate change and the promotion of mental health and wellbeing”, in: International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 213; at: <http://ijmhs.com/content/2/1/13 > (30 April 2009).

  • Gardner, G. T.; Stern, P. C., 2002: Environmental problems and human behaviour (Boston, MA: Pearson Custom Publishing).

    Google Scholar 

  • Gifford, R.; Scannell, L.; Kormos, C.; Smolova, L.; Biel, A.; Boncu, S., 2009: “Temporal pessimism and spatial optimism in environmental assessments: An 18-nation study”, in: Journal of Environmental Psychology, 29: 1–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gifford, R., 2008: “Psychology’s essential role in alleviating the impacts of climate change”, in: Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne, 494: 273–280.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gifford, R., 2007: Environmental psychology: Principles and practice (Coleville, WA: Optimal Books).

    Google Scholar 

  • Gifford, R., 1976: “Environmental numbness in the classroom”, in: Journal of Experimental Education, 443: 4–7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hansla, A.; Gamble, A.; Juliusson; A., Garling, T., 2008: “The relationships between awareness of consequences, environmental concern, and value orientations”, in: Journal of Environmental Psychology, 28: 1–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harris,F., 2004: Global Environmental Issues (Chichester: John Wiley & Sons).

    Google Scholar 

  • Heath, Y.; Gifford, R., 2006: “Free-market ideology and environmental degradation: The case of belief in global climate change”, in: Environment and Behavior, 38: 48–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoozemans, F.M.J.; Marchand, M.; Pennekamp, H.A., 21993: “A global vulnerability analysis: vulnerability assessment for population, coastal wetlands and rice production on a global scale”, in: Delft Hydraulics (Netherlands: Delft Hydraulics).

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, E. J.; Haeuble, G.; Keinan, A., 2007: “Aspects of endowment: A query theory of loss aversion”, in: Journal of Experimental Psychology-Learning Memory and Cognition, 33,3: 461–474.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kasperson, R. E.; Dow, K., 1991: “Developmental and geographical equity in global environmental change”, in: Evaluation Review, 15: 149 –171.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kates, R. W., 2007: “Forward”, in: Moser, S. C.; Dilling, L. (Eds.): Creating a climate for change (New York: Cambridge University Press)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kellstedt, P. M.; Zahran, S.; Vedlitz, A., 2008: “Personal efficacy, the information environment, and attitudes toward global warming and climate change in the United States”, in: Risk Analysis, 28: 113–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Langford, I. H., 2002: “An existential approach to risk perception”, in: Risk Analysis, 22: 101–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lehman, P.K.; Geller, E.S., 2004: “Behavior Analysis and Environmental Protection: Accomplishments and Potential for More”, in: Behavior and Social Issues, 13: 13–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leiserowitz, A., 2007: “Communicating the risks of global warming: American risk perceptions, affective images, and interpretive communities”, in: Moser, S.C.; Dilling, L. (Eds.): Creating a climate for change: Communicating climate change and facilitating social change (New York: Cambridge University Press): 44–63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leiserowitz, A., 2005: “American risk perceptions: Is climate change dangerous?”, in: Risk Analysis, 25: 1433–1442.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lertzman, R., 2008: “The myth of apathy”, in: The Ecologist; at: <http://www.theecologist.org/pages/archive_detail.asp?open=y%26content_id=1877%2337060 > (1 December 2008).

  • Lewin, K.,1951: Field theory in social science (New York: Harper).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lorenzoni, I.; Pidgeon, N., 2006: “Public views on climate change: European and USA perspectives”, in: Climatic Change, 77: 73–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lorenzoni, I., 2004: “A typology of people’s attitudes to climate change derived from questionnaires and focus groups in the Norwich area, U.K” (Unpublished dissertation, University of East Anglia).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lorenzoni, I.; Langford, I., 2002: “Dealing with Climate Change: Role of Institutions in the Eyes of the Public”, in: Bierman, F.; Campe, S.; Jacob,K. (Eds.): Proceedings of the 2001 Berlin Conference on the Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change (Potsdam: Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research): 342–351.

    Google Scholar 

  • Macy, J.; Brown, M. Y., 1998: Coming back to life: Practices to reconnect our lives, our world (Gabriola Island, British Columbia: New Society Publishers)

    Google Scholar 

  • Maiteny, P. T., 2002: “Mind in the gap: Summary of research exploring ‘inner’ influences on pro-sustainability learning and behavior”, in: Environmental Education Research, 8: 299–306.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mallett, R. K., 2009: “Breaking the Pollution Habit: Validation of Three Eco-Emotion Scales” Unpublished).

    Google Scholar 

  • Mallett, R. K.; Huntsinger, J. R.; Sinclair, S.; Swim, J. K., 2008: “Seeing Through Their Eyes: When Majority Group Members Take Collective Action on Behalf of an Outgroup”, in: Group Process and Intergroup Relations, 114: 451–470.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mallett, R. K.; Swim, J. K., 2004: “Collective guilt in the United States”, in: Branscombe, N.R.; Doosje, B. (Eds.): Collective guilt: International perspectives (Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press): 56–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marshall, R. D.; Bryant, R. A.; Amsel, L.; Suh, E. J.; Cook, J. M.; Neria, Y., 2007: “The psychology of ongoing threat: Relative risk appraisal, the September 11 attacks, and terrorism-related fears”, in: American Psychologist, 62: 304–316.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Midden, C.; Kaiser, F.; McCalley, T., 2007: “Technology’s four roles in understanding individuals’ conservation of natural resources”, in: Journal of Social Issues, 631: 155–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moser, S. C., 2007: “More bad news: The risk of neglectin: g emotional responses to climate change in: formation”, in: Moser, S.C.; Dilling, L. (Eds.): Creating a climate for change (New York: Cambridge University Press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Neutra, R.; Lipscomb, J.; Satin, K.; Shusterman, D., 1991: “Hypotheses to explain the higher symptom rates observed around hazardous waste sites”, in: Environmental Health Perspectives, 94: 31–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nicholls, R.J., 2010: “Climate Change, sea level rise, and Coastal Migration”, Paper for the Climate change and security conference, Trondheim, Norway, 21–24 June.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nicholls, R.J.; Hanson, S.; Herweijer, C.; Patmore, N, ; Hallegatte, S.; Corfee-Morlot, J.; Chateau, J.; MuirWood, R., 2008: “Ranking Port Cities with High Exposure and Vulnerability to Climate Extremes: Exposure Estimates”, in: OECD Environment Working Paper 1 (Paris: OECD).

    Google Scholar 

  • Nicholls, R.J., 2004: “Coastal flooding and wetland loss in the 21st century: changes under the SRES climate and socio-economic scenarios”, in: Global Environmental Change, 14: 69–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nobel, J., 2007: “Eco-anxiety: Something else to worry about”, [Electronic version] in: The Philadelphia Enquirer. Norton, A.; Leaman, J., 2004: The day after tomorrow: Public opinion on climate change (London, UK: MORI Social Research Institute)

    Google Scholar 

  • Oskamp, S., 1995: “Applying social psychology to avoid ecological disaster”, in: Journal of Social Issues, 51: 217–238.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pachauri ,R.K., 2004: “Climate and Humanity”, in: Global Environmental Change, 14: 101–103.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peek, L. A.; Miletti, D. S., 2002: “The history & future of disaster research”, in: Bechtel, R. B.; Churchman, A. (Eds.): Handbook of environmental psychology (New York: Wiley): 511–524.

    Google Scholar 

  • Poortinga, W.; Pidgeon, N., 2003: “Exploring the dimensionality of trust in risk regulation”, in: : Risk Analysis, 23: 961–972.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prochaska, J. O.; Di Clemente, C. C.; Norcross, J. C., 1992: “In search of how people change: Applications to addictive behaviors”, in: American Psychologist, 47: 1102–1114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reser, J. P., 2009: “‘Climate change’ is far more than climate change” (unpublished).

    Google Scholar 

  • Reuveny, R., 2008: “Ecomigration and violent conflict: Case studies and public policy implications”, in: Human Ecology, 36: 1–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reyes, G.; Jacobs, G.A. (Eds.), 2006: Handbook of international disaster psychology Vol.1 –4 (Westport, CT: Praeger)

    Google Scholar 

  • Rishi, P.; Prakash, M.D.O.; Mudaliar,R., 2009: “Behavioural Mapping of Urban Settlements towards Changing Climate” (unpublished IIFM sponsored Project Report, Bhopal).

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmuck, P.; Schultz, W. P. (Eds.), 2002: Psychology of sustainable development (Boston, MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers).

    Google Scholar 

  • Searles, H. F., 1972: “Unconscious processes in relation to the environmental crisis”, in: Psychoanalytical Review, 59, 361–374.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stern, P.C., 2000: “Psychology and the science of humanenvironment interactions”, in: American Psychologist, 55: 523–530.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strack, F.; Deutsch, R., 2007: “The role of impulse in social behavior”, in: Kruglanski, A. W.; Higgins, E. T. (Eds.): Social psychology: Handbook of basic principles 2nd ed (New York: The Guilford Press): 408–431

    Google Scholar 

  • Swim, J.K.; Clayton, S.; Doherty, T.; Gifford, R.; Howard, G.; Reser, J.; Stern, P.; Weber, E., 2009: Psychology and Global Climate Change: Addressing a multi-faceted Phenomenon and Set of Challenges. A Report by the American Psychological Association’s Task Force on the Interface between Psychology and Global Climate Change; at: <http://www.apa.org/releases/climatechange.pdf > (5 November 2009).

  • TERI (Tata Energy Research Institute), 1996: The Economic Impact of a One-Metre Sea-Level Rise on the Indian Coastline: Method and Case Studies. Report submitted to the Ford Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tol, R. S. J., 2004: The double trade-off between adaptation and mitigation for sea level rise: an application of FUND, research unit sustainability and global change. FNU-48, Hamburg University and Centre for Marine and Atmospheric Science, Hamburg.

    Google Scholar 

  • UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), 1989: Criteria for Assessing Vulnerability to Sea Level Rise: A Global Inventory to High Risk Area (Delft: Delft Hydraulics): 51

    Google Scholar 

  • UNFCCC, 2007: Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change in Small Island Developing States. Background paper for the expert meeting on adaptation for small island developing states; at: <http://unfccc.int/files/adaptation/adverse_effects_and_response_measures_art_48/application/pdf/200702_sids_adaptation_bg.pdf >.

  • Uzzell, D., 2008: “Challenging assumptions in the psychology of climate change”, in: InPsych, 304: 10–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vlek, C.; Steg, L., 2007: “Human behavior and environmental sustainability: problems, driving forces and research topics”, in: Journal of Social Issues, 631: 1–19.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weber, E. U., 2006: “Evidence-based and description-based perceptions of long-term risk: Why global warming does not scare us yet”, in: Climatic Change, 77: 103–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wheaton, B., 1999: “The nature of stressors”, in: Horwitz, A. V.; Scheid, T. L. (Eds.): A handbook for the study of mental health: Social contexts, theories, and systems (New York: Cambridge University Press): 176–197.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wheaton, B., 1996: “The domains and boundaries of stress concepts”, in: Kaplan, H. B. (Ed.): Psychosocial stress: Perspectives on structure, theory, life-course, and methods (San Diego: Academic Press): 29–70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yechuri, S.R., 2008: “Mercury Rising”, in: The Hindustan Times, 24 January.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 357, Nehru Nagar, Bhopal, 462003, India

    Ruchi Mudaliar & Parul Rishi

Authors
  1. Ruchi Mudaliar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Parul Rishi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ruchi Mudaliar .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. ZMAW, Institute for Geography, University of Hamburg, Bundesstr. 53, Hamburg, 20146, Germany

    Jürgen Scheffran

  2. , Institute of Peace Research and Security, Hamburg University, Beim Schlump 83, Hamburg, 20144, Germany

    Michael Brzoska

  3. AG Friedensforschung + Europ., Sicherheitspolitik, AFES-PRESS, Alte Bergsteige 47, Mosbach, 74821, Germany

    Hans Günter Brauch

  4. ZMAW, Res. Group Climate Change and Security, Hamburg University, Bundesstrasse 53, Hamburg, 20146, Germany

    Peter Michael Link

  5. ZMAW, Res. Group Climate Change and Security, Hamburg University, Bundesstrasse 53, Hamburg, 20146, Germany

    Janpeter Schilling

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Mudaliar, R., Rishi, P. (2012). A Psychological Perspective on Climate Stress in Coastal India. In: Scheffran, J., Brzoska, M., Brauch, H., Link, P., Schilling, J. (eds) Climate Change, Human Security and Violent Conflict. Hexagon Series on Human and Environmental Security and Peace, vol 8. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28626-1_30

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation