Adam Pearson

Background

About Adam Pearson

I am a Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychological Science at Pomona College and a member of the Graduate Faculty at Claremont Graduate University. Our research explores how group dynamics impact public engagement with climate change and environmental decision making. We work with interdisciplinary teams, nonprofit organizations, and local and state governments to apply behavioral insights to address climate change and other sustainability challenges. Our work has appeared in synthesis reports by the U.S. National Academies, the 5th U.S. National Climate Assessment, the UN Environment Programme, the UN Development Programme, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (AR6), and has been featured in a variety of media outlets, including the Los Angeles Times, NPR, TIME, Grist, New York Magazine, Bloomberg, and FiveThirtyEight. Much of our research is guided by two central questions: How do social processes (including group identities, norms, social biases, and inequality) impact how we collectively perceive and respond to environmental challenges like climate change; and how can a deeper understanding of these processes promote informed and equitable decision making? To explore these questions, we use lab and field experiments, surveys, and both quantitative and qualitative methods. I am also passionate about teaching and mentoring. In 2014, I received the Society for Psychological Study of Social Issues Action Teaching prize for innovative teaching and co-developed and co-teach an interdisciplinary course on climate change and human behavior - one of the first undergraduate climate courses in the U.S. to integrate perspectives from biophysical and behavioral science. I received a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Yale University and a B.S. in Biology from Cornell University and am a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, the Society of Experimental Social Psychology, and the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues. To learn more, visit: https://sci.sites.pomona.edu