Paul Sparks
Honorary Senio Lecturer (Psychology)

Research

My research work focuses on attitude theory and its application to environmental issues and health-related actions. Within this broad domain, I am interested in the relationship between people's attitudes and moral judgements, self-identity, ambivalence, social influence processes, affective processes, decision-making and behaviour. Linked to the above themes in diverse ways, I have interests in integrity, affirmation processes, the psychology of well-being, social capital, social dilemmas, risk perception, communication, persuasion and attitude change, social explanations, the evaluation and selection of explanations, social perception, and the history of social psychology (including some classic themes such as the relationship between the individual and society). Current and recent doctoral students have been researching responses to climate change, dissonance processes, self-affirmation theory, moral licensing, engagement with the natural environment, risk and mountaineering, and the psychology of autonomy.