The Psychology of Sustainability: Understanding and Encouraging a Sustainable Lifestyle

As we enter a world filled with more and more natural disasters and catastrophes that threaten our very existence as well as the existence of so many species around us, we have to ask ourselves, why are we not acting to save the planet including the community of life that lives on it? The psychology of sustainability explores what motivates individuals to take sustainable action in their daily lives, as well as how this action influences their wellbeing and connection with their environment. The psychology of sustainability holds the key leading to more sustainable development at a local, national, and global scale. Sustainable development comprises the actions used to live environmentally friendly lifestyles. This project dives into the importance of living sustainably as well as the thought process behind the decisions we make and how this influences our lifestyle. Through this project, we will also explore what motivates an individual and what is the best way to encourage someone to make a lifestyle change. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior model, I will dissect what actions are successful when it comes to getting people more involved with sustainable efforts. Through this work and research, I created a potential plan for St. Catherine University that would encourage sustainable practices across campus. Furthermore, students will be able to carry this plan out in their lives post-graduation and allow St. Catherine as a whole to be more environmentally conscious