According to a 2022 Times survey, 66% of small businesses in the UK never sought information on how to reduce their carbon footprint. One reason for poor engagement with climate change is psychological distance. It is well established that temporally distant and uncertain events are perceived as less extreme in value, and are therefore not fully included in businesses decision making. A recent meta-analysis (Rösch et al., 2022) showed that mental simulations of likely future experience (known as Episodic Future Thinking or EFT) reduce discounting in monetary as well as health-related choices. In addition, Lee at al. (2020) demonstrated that engagement in EFT increases climate related risk-perception and subsequent tendencies to engage in pro-environmental behaviour. In contrast to other, more abstract forms of future thinking, EFT elicits concrete mental representations, and thus makes an otherwise elusive future more tangible. EFT can be used to imagine positive (e.g. benefits derived from having implemented mitigative action) or negative futures (e.g. costs associated with unmitigated climate change). This studentship will build on existing work conducted as part of the GAIA and CAST centres, both based at CU’s School of Psychology, on how organisations make decisions and establish change to achieve a low-carbon transformation. The student will have the opportunity to identify and shape research questions and methodologies to examine how stakeholders conceive the future and their capacity to shape it with regards to climate change. This will be used to determine what influence EFT has on businesses commitment to and implementation of sustainable practices. The studentship is part of a collaboration between the School of Psychology and K Sharp Ltd, so the research carried out as part pf the PhD will have relevance and will be directly disseminated to businesses located in Wales.
The project will take a multi-stage approach, using methods from both social/environmental and cognitive psychology. It is anticipated that the student will use year one to scope the applicability of EFT as a nudge for organisational decision-making and action as well as develop a literature review to refine the thinking and its application to climate ergonomics. They will then develop a methodology that will test the efficacy of an EFT based intervention, run a pilot study based on student population and refine the intervention appropriately.
Year two will see the application of the intervention on the target cohort, this will focus on small businesses because they potentially need more support and guidance than large businesses. This will require data capture and dynamic visualisation.
Year three will seek to evaluate the advantages/disadvantages of EFT use against current approaches with a view to determining other suitable stakeholder groups that it would work with and adapt the EFT approach with those groups.
This project seeks rapid application, and therefore engagement with key stakeholders throughout the project will be sought to ensure it can be exploited. These stakeholders include (but are not restricted to) Local Government, Welsh Government, Federation of Small Business and Aerospace Wales.
ESRC studentships are highly competitive, candidates should have an excellent academic background in the social sciences, holding a 1st or strong upper 2nd class degree; applications from those also holding a relevant research training Masters degree (or equivalent background in research training) will be considered for a +3 award. Wales DTP studentships are available to both home and international (including EU and EEA) students. Applicants must satisfy studentship eligibility requirements. For further details see the UKRI website. Successful international student applicants will receive a funded Wales DTP studentship and will not be charged the fees difference between the UK and international rate. With the exception of studentships in Economics pathway, awards are available on either a 1+3 or +3 basis. A 1+3 studentship provides funding for four years (or part-time equivalent), completing a research training Masters in the 1st year, followed by 3 years research funding for a PhD. A +3 studentship provides funding for the three years PhD research study only (or part-time equivalent).
The closing deadline for applications is Sunday 4th June 2023. Short-listed applicants will be invited to interview, which are expected to take place in the weeks commencing 12th and 19th June 2023. After interview, a final short-list of applicants will be put forward to a Panel convened by the ESRC Wales DTP Management Group at which final decisions with regard to studentship awards will be made. In most cases, successful applicants can expect to hear in early July 2023. A completed application form for admission to doctoral study in Cardiff University submitted by the deadline. Incomplete applications or applications received after this specified time will not be accepted.
The application must contain the following documents:
1. Covering letter: Addressed to Prof Marc Buehner. The covering letter must set out your reasons and motivation for applying to study at Cardiff University, and the ESRC DTP Pathway; your understanding, and expectations of doctoral study; and your academic interests generally, particularly how these relate to the description of the project supplied. The covering letter should be no more than two pages. Please include whether you wish to apply on a +3 or 1+3 basis.
2. Academic/Professional Qualifications: Where appropriate, this should also include proof of English Language Competency (see institutional requirements).
3. References: All applications require two academic references to be submitted in support. Candidates must approach referees and include the references with their application.
4. Curriculum Vitae: This should be no longer than two pages.
5. Research Proposal: For collaborative studentships, the proposal should build directly on the outline description that has been supplied. The proposal should be up to a maximum of 1000 words, not including bibliographic references. We suggest that you use the following five headings in your research proposal:
Your reflections on the title, aims and purpose of the research
An overview of some key research literature relevant to the study
Your proposals for developing the design and methods of the study
A description of potential outcomes of the project for understanding, knowledge, policy and practice (as appropriate to the topic)
Bibliographic references
Continue with Facebook
