Wouter Poortinga is Professor of Environmental Psychology at the Welsh School of Architecture and the School of Psychology, Cardiff University; and co-director of the ESRC-funded Centre for Climate and Social Transformations (CAST). His research interests are in three areas: (1) environmental risk perception, (2) sustainable behaviour, lifestyles and behaviour change, and (3) housing, neighbourhood and health. Wouter has organised a number of comprehensive surveys of public opinion on future energy options and climate change, Including the European Social Survey; examined the role of environmental values and attitudes in household energy use, and evaluated the effectiveness and further attitudinal and behavioural impacts of the Welsh carrier bag charge, and involved the development of a Welsh environmental attitudes and behaviours segmentation model. Other work is on the health impacts and economic value of meeting housing quality standards, and the role of social capital and cohesion in community resilience and wellbeing.
Wouter Poortinga
- CAST
- Poortinga, W., Whitmarsh, L., Steg, L., Böhm, G., & Fisher, S. (2019). Climate change perceptions and their individual-level determinants: A cross-European analysis. Global Environmental Change, 55, 25-35.
- Demski, C., Poortinga, W., Whitmarsh, L., Böhm, G., Fisher, S., Steg, L., Umit, R., Jokinen, P., & Pohjolainen, P. (2018). National context is a key determinant of energy security concerns across Europe. Nature Energy, 3, 882-888.
- Poortinga, W., & Whitaker, L. (2018). Promoting the use of reusable coffee cups through environmental messaging, the provision of alternatives, and financial incentives. Sustainability, 10(3)
- Thomas, G. O., Fisher, R., Whitmarsh, L., Milfont, T. L., & Poortinga, W. (2017). Parenthood and environmental concern: A longitudinal investigation of the legacy hypothesis. Population & Environment, 39(3), 261-27.
- Nash, N., Whitmarsh, L., Capstick, S., Hargreaves, T., Poortinga, W., Thomas, G., Sautkine, E., & Xenias, D. (2017). Climate-relevant behavioral spillover and the potential contribution of social practice theory. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 8(6).
- Poortinga, W., & Darnton, A. (2016). Segmenting for sustainability: The development of a sustainability segmentation model from a Welsh sample. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 45, 221-232.
2015
Capstick, S; Whitmarsh, L; Poortinga, W; Pidgeon, N; Upham, P
International trends in public perceptions of climate change over the past quarter century Journal Article
In: Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, vol. 6, pp. 35-61, 2015.
@article{568,
title = {International trends in public perceptions of climate change over the past quarter century},
author = {S Capstick and L Whitmarsh and W Poortinga and N Pidgeon and P Upham},
url = {http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/wcc.343/abstract},
doi = {10.1002/wcc.343},
year = {2015},
date = {2015-01-01},
journal = {Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change},
volume = {6},
pages = {35-61},
chapter = {35},
abstract = {<p>Public perceptions of climate change are known to differ between nations and to have fluctuated over time. Numerous plausible characterizations of these variations, and explanations for them, are to be found in the literature. However, a clear picture has not yet emerged as to the principal trends and patterns that have occurred over the past quarter-century or the factors behind these changes. This systematic review considers previous empirical research that has addressed the temporal aspects to public perceptions. We address findings that have been obtained since the 1980s and using a range of methodologies. In this review, we consider early, seminal work examining public perceptions; survey studies carried out over long timescales and at an international scale; detailed statistical analyses of the drivers of changing perceptions; and qualitative research featuring a longitudinal component. Studies point to growing skepticism in the latter 2000s in some developed countries, underpinned by economic and sociopolitical factors. Even so, in many parts of the world, there has been growing concern about climate change in recent years. We conclude that the imbalance in the literature toward polling data, and toward studies of public perceptions in Western nations (particularly the United States), leaves much unknown about the progression of public understanding of climate change worldwide. More research is required that uses inferential statistical procedures to understand the reasons behind trends in public perceptions. The application of qualitative longitudinal methodologies also offers the potential for better appreciation of the cultural contexts in which climate change perceptions are evolving. WIREs Clim Change 2015, 6:35–61. doi: 10.1002/wcc.321<br type="_moz"> </p>},
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2011
Poortinga, W; Spence, A; Whitmarsh, L; Capstick, S; Pidgeon, N
Uncertain climate: An investigation into public scepticism about anthropogenic climate change Journal Article
In: Global Environmental Change, 2011.
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title = {Uncertain climate: An investigation into public scepticism about anthropogenic climate change},
author = {W Poortinga and A Spence and L Whitmarsh and S Capstick and N Pidgeon},
year = {2011},
date = {2011-01-01},
journal = {Global Environmental Change},
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2008
Pidgeon, N; Lorenzoni, I; Poortinga, W
Climate change or nuclear power – no thanks! A quantitative study of public perceptions and risk framing in Britain Journal Article
In: Global Environmental Change, vol. 18, pp. 69-85, 2008.
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title = {Climate change or nuclear power - no thanks! A quantitative study of public perceptions and risk framing in Britain},
author = {N Pidgeon and I Lorenzoni and W Poortinga},
year = {2008},
date = {2008-01-01},
journal = {Global Environmental Change},
volume = {18},
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Pidgeon, N; Lorenzoni, I; Poortinga, W
Climate change or nuclear power – no thanks! A quantitative study of public perceptions and risk framing in Britain. Journal Article
In: Global Environmental Change, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 69-85, 2008.
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title = {Climate change or nuclear power - no thanks! A quantitative study of public perceptions and risk framing in Britain.},
author = {N Pidgeon and I Lorenzoni and W Poortinga},
year = {2008},
date = {2008-01-01},
journal = {Global Environmental Change},
volume = {18},
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Bickerstaff, K; Lorenzoni, I; Pidgeon, N; Poortinga, W; Simmons, P
Reframing the nuclear debate in the UK: radioactive waste and climate change mitigation Journal Article
In: Public Understanding of Science, vol. 17, pp. 145-169, 2008.
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title = {Reframing the nuclear debate in the UK: radioactive waste and climate change mitigation},
author = {K Bickerstaff and I Lorenzoni and N Pidgeon and W Poortinga and P Simmons},
year = {2008},
date = {2008-01-01},
journal = {Public Understanding of Science},
volume = {17},
pages = {145-169},
chapter = {145},
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2006
Poortinga, W; Pidgeon, NF; Lorenzoni, I
Public perceptions of nuclear power, climate change and energy options in Britain: Summary findings of a survey conducted during Otober and November 2005 Technical Report
Centre for Environmental Risk 2006.
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title = {Public perceptions of nuclear power, climate change and energy options in Britain: Summary findings of a survey conducted during Otober and November 2005},
author = {W Poortinga and NF Pidgeon and I Lorenzoni},
year = {2006},
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2003
Poortinga, W; Pidgeon, N
Exploring the dimensionality of trust in risk regulation Journal Article
In: Risk Analysis, vol. 23, no. 5, 2003.
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title = {Exploring the dimensionality of trust in risk regulation},
author = {W Poortinga and N Pidgeon},
year = {2003},
date = {2003-00-01},
journal = {Risk Analysis},
volume = {23},
number = {5},
chapter = {961},
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Phone: 02920 874 755
Fax: 02920 874 623
Postal Address:
School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Tower Building, 70 Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT