Robert Gifford (psychologist)
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Robert Gifford | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Alma mater | Simon Fraser University, University of California, Davis |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Environmental psychology, social psychology, personality psychology |
| Institutions | University of Victoria |
| Academic advisors | Robert Sommer |
Robert Gifford was Professor of Psychology and Environmental Studies from 1979 to 2024 at the University of Victoria.[1] His main research interests are environmental psychology, social psychology and personality psychology, including work on nonverbal behavior[2] and climate change behavior barriers.[3] From 2004 to 2016, he was the editor in chief of the Journal of Environmental Psychology.[4] In 2024, the University of Victoria terminated Gifford's employment for sexual harassment of a graduate student.[5][6]
Gifford received a Ph.D. in psychology from Simon Fraser University in 1976.[7]
Gifford is the author of five editions of Environmental Psychology: Principles and Practice, which has also been translated into Japanese, and edited Research Methods for Environmental Psychology (2016). He developed a list of forty psychological impediments to effectively reacting to climate change called "the dragons of inaction"—these include temporal discounting, lack of place attachment, and mistrust.[8] He was one of the coauthors of a 2011 American Psychological Association report titled "Psychology and Global Climate Change: Addressing a Multi-faceted Phenomenon and Set of Challenges" which described elements of effective climate action messaging, including urgency, certainty, and positive framing.[3][9]
Gifford is on the editorial board of Architectural Science Review.[10] He has been president of the environmental divisions of the American Psychological Association, the International Association of Applied Psychology and the Canadian Psychological Association.[11]
In February 2021, Gifford was suspended from his position at the University of Victoria after an investigation into a sexual harassment claim by one of his graduate students.[6] In June 2024, he was dismissed from his job.[5][6] After his union declined to appeal the case, Gifford contested his union representation, but the British Columbia Labour Relations Board found his union appropriately represented him.[6]
Books
- Gifford, Robert, ed. (1991). Applied Psychology: Variety and Opportunity. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. p. 384. ISBN 978-0-205-12664-4.
- Gifford, Robert (2005). 環境心理学〜原理と実践〜 [2-volume Japanese translation of Environmental psychology: Principles and Practice]. Tokyo: Kitaohji Shobo. pp. 370 and 438. ISBN 978-4-76282448-7.
- Gifford, Robert (2014). Environmental Psychology: Principles and Practice (5th ed.). Colville, WA: Optimal Books. p. 599. ISBN 978-0-9937719-0-3.
- Gifford, Robert, ed. (2016). Research Methods for Environmental Psychology (1st ed.). New York: Wiley. p. 438. ISBN 978-1-118-79533-0.
