Shared Activity Domains

Individual behavior and decision processes

This field addresses the role of beliefs (e.g., attitudes, opinions, norms, etc.), preferences, knowledge, and expectations in environment-related behavior and public policy decisions. Particular attention is paid to social and economic incentives, monetary and non-monetary evaluations, willingness to pay, elicitation of preferences, acceptance, awareness, social influence, and psychological determinants of behavior. Methods include decision analysis, quantitative statistics, and computer simulations based on surveys, experiments, and interventions. Major clusters working in this field are EnvEco, EHPsy and DA.

Institutional analysis, networks and governance

The focus is on regulatory structures, the interplay among formal and informal institutions, actor networks (such as coalitions, collaborations, associations, etc.), and governance structures actually present or potentially needed in environmental problem domains. Major contributions are from the clusters PEGO, Cirus and EnvEco.

Eco-innovations and Transition Management

The focus is on the development and market diffusion of environmentally less damaging technologies, products and use patterns and on long term transformation processes of core industrial sectors towards more sustainable resource use. This encompasses in particular, success conditions for emerging industries, innovation management, new business models, market formation processes, and market diffusion. Major clusters involved are Cirus, EHPsy, and PEGO.

Summary table with three domains