Carina Wiekens

Carina Wiekens is professor in Sustainable Behaviour. She runs the professorship Communication, Behaviour & the Sustainable Society together with colleague Wim Elving. Carina Wiekens focuses on sustainable behaviour.

Dr. Carina Wiekens is trained as a psychologist and specialises in behaviour change and initiating social change. She is professor Sustainable Behaviour and founder of the Sustainable Behaviour research group, which she has led it since 2012. Carina is involved in several undergraduate and graduate programmes, such as Applied Psychology, Social Work and Energy for Society, in the Associate Degree Participation and Neighbourhood Development and in several national platforms in the field of sustainability and participation.

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Sustainable Behaviour Research Group

Sustainable behaviour is defined as behaviour that meets the needs of the present without damaging the ability of future generations to meet their needs (Brundtland Committee, 1987). In designing new interventions for behaviour change and social change, the research group applies the following principles: 

  • Change has a rightful owner in the person or group it affects. 
  • Behaviour arises from needs. 
  • Behaviour takes place in a social context.  

Developed campaigns meet the needs of the social group concerned as much as possible, are aimed at meaningful social groups and are (co-)designed and implemented by the groups themselves. The research group mainly applies an experimental approach. This means that the developed methods are randomly tested, using both quantitative and qualitative research methods.

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