Open Positions

Background and aim

While climate change mitigation (e.g., reduction of greenhouse gas emissions) remains important, it is also clear that societies need to adapt to the unavoidable hazards associated with climate change. The recent heat waves in Europe and the health and economical damages they caused, exemplify that adaptation measures are not yet sufficiently in place.

Heuristics (mental shortcuts) can bias people’s risk perceptions and affect moral considerations. As such they can influence people’s private adaptation behaviors and their perceptions of technologies that could help societies to deal better with the consequences of climate change. By influencing regulations, they can also impact the exposure of vulnerable groups to hazards, such as heat.

The aim of this doctoral thesis is to gain insights in how cognitive and moral heuristics influence the effective implementation of climate change adaptation measures.

Tasks

• Conceptualization and conduction of empirical studies (quantitative or qualitative designs are possible)
• Writing manuscripts and publishing studies in scientific journals
• Dissemination of research results (e.g., at conferences)
• Supervising bachelor and master students
• Supporting lectures

Your profile

• Master’s degree in psychology, environmental science, or social sciences
• Knowledge and first experiences with descriptive and inferential statistics
• Advanced German and English skills
• Ability to think conceptually and work independently
• Strong interest in research and methodologies from psychology and social sciences

Contact

If you are interested in the project or need further information, please contact:

Bruno Etter, Consumer Behavior Group, Universitätsstrasse, 8092 Zürich. Phone: +41 44 633 84 62 / e-mail: