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Wouter Poortinga   MSc, PhD

Professor Wouter Poortinga

MSc, PhD

Professor, Welsh School of Architecture

Welsh School of Architecture

Email
PoortingaW@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone
+44 29208 74755
Campuses
Bute Building, Floor 1, Room 1.21, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3NB
Tower Building, 70 Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT
sbarc|spark, Floor 3, Maindy Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ
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Media commentator
Users
Available for postgraduate supervision

Overview

I am an environmental psychologist, based in the Welsh School of Architecture and the School of Psychology.

My research interests are in human-environment interactions, including:

  • environmental risk perception
  • sustainable behaviours and lifestyles
  • housing, neighbourhoods and health.

Publication

2024

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2001

Articles

Book sections

Books

Conferences

Monographs

Research

Wouter Poortinga is Professor of Environmental Psychology at the Welsh School of Architecture and the School of Psychology, Cardiff University; and associate director of the ESRC-funded Centre for Climate and Social Transformations (CAST). His research focuses on public engagement with climate change and sustainable lifestyles and behaviour; and is particularly interested in the attitudinal and behavioural implications of environmental policies, such as the plastic bag charge and Net Zero. Wouter led the design of the Climate Change and Energy module for Round 8 of the European Social Survey; developed the Welsh Sustainability Segmentation Model; and recently redesigned the environmental attitudes and behaviour module of the Understanding Society Survey. Within CAST, he co-leads the theme that works with partners and public participants to accelerate low-carbon transformations through individual and community-level interventions. Wouter is currently working with Imperial College’s Environmental Research Group on public perceptions and behavioural factors in indoor air quality.

Teaching

•    Environmental Psychology (PS3415), Module Co-ordinator and Lecturer (PSYCH)
•    Lecture on Quantitative Social Science Research Methods, Architectural Science Research (ARCHI)
•    Lecture on Housing and Health, Low Carbon Buildings (ARCHI).
•    Lecture on Social Aspects of Design, Architecture in Context module (ARCHI)
•    People and Buildings module (ART102), Lectures on research methods and environmental psychology (ARCHI)
•    Yr2 Academic tutorials on Social and Developmental Psychology (PSYCH)
•    MSc Conversion Psychology, dissertation project supervision (PSYCH)
•    M.Arch dissertation supervision (ARCHI)
•    Architectural Science Masters (ASM) dissertation supervision (ARCHI)
.

Biography

Education

2002-2004: PhD  Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich.

1995-1997: MSc Energy and Environmental  Studies, University of Groningen, the Netherlands. Centre for  Energy and Environmental Studies (IVEM).

1990-1995: MSc Social Psychology, University of Groningen,  the Netherlands.  Department of Social and Organisational Psychology

Employment

2014-present: Professor, Welsh School  of Architecture/ Department of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff  

2013-2014 Reader, Welsh School  of Architecture/ Department of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff  

2010-2013: Senior  Lecturer, Welsh School  of Architecture/ Department of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff  

2006-2010: RCUK  Academic Fellow, Welsh School of Architecture/ Department of Psychology, Cardiff University,  Cardiff

2001-2005: Senior  Research Associate. Centre for Environmental Risk (CER). University  of East Anglia, Norwich.

2000: Researcher. Social and Cultural Planning Office (SCP), the Netherlands.  

1999-2000: Researcher. Centre for Environmental and Traffic Psychology (COV), University  of Groningen, the Netherlands.  

Supervisions

My main supervision expertise is in:

  • Environmental Psychology
  • Housing & Health
  • Environmental Epidemiology
  • Sustainable Behaviours & Lifestyles
  • Environmental Risk Perception.

Happy to consider supervision on topics relating to:

  • social sustainability
  • social aspects of design
  • social-spatial processes using (quantitative) social science methods.

Research themes

Specialisms

  • Environmental Psychology
  • Human-environment interactions
  • Climate change perceptions and engagement
  • Behaviour Change
  • Environmental epidemiology

External profiles