Research
Research
My research work spans strategic climate communications, environmental psychology, social psychology, sociology, neuroscience and behavioural economics. All of my papers are available in PDFs or open access links below.
Peer Reviewed Publications (incl. PDF or open-access link)
Yang, J., Liu, Y., van den Berg, B., Wang, S., Chen, L., Liu, M., Bi, J. (2024). 'Clean air captures attention whereas pollution distracts: evidence from brain activities', Frontiers of Environmental Science and Engineering, 18:41. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-024-1801-x
Poortinga, W., Latter, B., & Wang, S. (2022). Comparing coronavirus (COVID-19) and climate change perceptions: Implications for support for individual and collective-level policies, Frontiers in Psychology, 13: 996546. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.996546
Pidcock, R., Heath, K., Messling, L., Wang, S., Pirani, A., Connors, S., Corner, A., Shaw, C., & Gomis, M. (2021). Evaluating effective public engagement: local stories from a global network of IPCC scientists, Climatic Change, 168: 21. doi: 10.1007/s10584-021-03230-w PDF
Wang, S.* & van den Berg, B.* (2021) Neuroscience and climate change: How brain recordings can help to understand human responses to climate change. Current Opinion in Psychology. (Open Access)
Wang, S., Hurlstone, M.J., Leviston, Z., Walker, I., & Lawrence, C. (2021). Construal-level theory and psychological distancing: Implications for grand environmental challenges. One Earth. doi: 10.1016/j.oneear.2021.03.009 PDF
Capstick, S., Khosla, R., Wang, S., et al. (2020). Bridging the Gap–the Role of Equitable Low-carbon Lifestyles. UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2020. UNEP: Nairobi. PDF
Hurlstone, M.J., Price, A., Wang, S., Leviston, Z., & Walker, I. (2019). Activating the legacy motive mitigates intergenerational discounting in the climate game. Global Environmental Change. PDF
Wang, S., Hurlstone, M.J., Leviston, Z., Walker, I., & Lawrence, C. (2019). Climate change from a distance: Psychological distance and construal level as predictors of pro-environmental engagement. Frontiers in Psychology: The Cognitive Psychology of Climate Change. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00230
Corner, A., Shaw, C., Clarke, J. and Wang, S. (2018). Communicating Environmental and Sustainability Science - Challenges, opportunities, and the changing political context. Oxford: Climate Outreach. PDF
Wang, S., Leviston, Z., Hurlstone, M.J, Lawrence, C., Walker, I. (2018) Emotions predict policy support: Why it matters how people feel about climate change. Global Environmental Change, 50, pp. 25-40. doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2018.03.002. PDF, Supplement
Wang, S., Corner, A., Chapman, D. & Markowitz, E. (2017). Public engagement with climate imagery in a changing digital landscape. WIREs Climate Change. doi:10.1002/wcc.509. PDF
Hurlstone, M.J., Wang, S., Price, A., Leviston, Z., Walker, I. (2016). Cooperation studies of catastrophe avoidance: Implications for climate change negotiations. Climatic Change. doi: 10.1007/s10584-016-1838-3 PDF
*indicates joint first authorship
Selected media &other articles:
Articles
Op ed: If Labour wants to move fast and build things, it's time to stop the name calling. Politics.co.uk
BAME groups are underrepresented in polls of public opinion – here’s why it matters The Conversation
Achieving low-carbon and equitable lifestyle change, CAST Briefing paper
Article for Advanced Science News
Research synthesis articles for the Climate Communication Project
Media features: The Independent, Business Green, FiveThirtyEight
Podcasts/Radio: BBC Scotland for COP26, The Good Geist Podcast, Everything's Changing Podcast