Charles Ogunbode

What people know, think and feel about environmental issues

My core research focus is on the judgments people make about environmental risks (e.g., how serious a threat is climate change? How likely is it that climate change will affect me or people, places and things I care about?). I also investigate key factors that shape these judgments (e.g., personal experience, media exposure, political ideology), as well as how the feelings, beliefs and motivations that result from these judgments go on to determine people’s behaviour. The ultimate goal of my research is to use an understanding of human psychology to promote pro-environmental actions and enhance people’s wellbeing

Earlier in life, I intended to pursue a career in nature conservation but I soon discovered that the biggest threats to nature could all be traced back to human behaviour. For example, many of the big global challenges – climate change, biodiversity loss, deforestation, desertification, ocean pollution can all be traced back to the way humans extract and consume natural resources. This understanding led me to seek opportunities for research in the environmental social sciences, and I am very pleased to have found a home in psychology

Most of the data I use in my research come from large questionnaire surveys of public perceptions and attitudes. I run these studies with participants in the UK and abroad. On any given day, I can be found drafting questions for survey studies, programming questions on to an online data collection platform or analysing data from ongoing research. I also spend a fair amount of time discussing, planning and producing research outputs (e.g., reports, articles) with my research collaborators, and liaising with research partners in the public and third sectors.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of my research is collaborations with other researchers from diverse cultural and disciplinary backgrounds. These research collaborations sometimes throw up major institutional, political and logistical challenges. However, through developing and executing such projects I have been able to tackle bigger research questions than I could if working individually and I have also gained friends around the world.

With bloody-minded determination

In 2022, I jointly led the first national study of how people of colour in Britain experience and engage with climate change. We found that people are very concerned about the impacts climate change is having around the world and are highly motivated to act. Historically, the UK climate and environmental sector has struggled with representing the voices and interests of people of colour. So, a question that emerged from our research is how the knowledge, expertise and motivation among UK communities of colour and diaspora communities can be effectively leveraged to drive forward meaningful action on climate change.

I often encounter people who are yet to recognise the value of psychological research for addressing climate change [I promptly make sure they are dispossessed of this ignorance, obviously]. Yet, there is a wealth of knowledge in psychology that could be hugely advantageous to our efforts to tackle climate change. I hope my research will contribute to realising this potential by generating psychological insights to help people around the world to live happier, healthier and more sustainably.

I currently don’t teach any modules that are directly linked to my area of research.

The key to a successful research career is at least 50% confidence. Confidence in one’s ideas, confidence in one’s abilities, confidence to reach out and connect with others, confidence to ask for and accept help when needed. I still must remind myself of this every now and again.

Also, relax. You completed your PhD and got a job doing what you love. The future is not nearly as bad as you think it will be.