Effects of Human Behavior on the Environment

Name

Institution

Environmental cues are the prompts to do something that comes from the environment and not initiated by the individual. The cues play an essential role in shaping the behavior of an individual. The mind records some of the cues and links them with memory; thus, an individual always responds to a certain cue and behave in a certain way. For example, when individuals visit a place they use to live before, the memories revert, and they start behaving and acting in the old manner as they were while living in the said place. The cue in this case is the memory of the old venue.

Social and cultural norms also have a significant role in influencing people’s behavior and beliefs. Humans behave in a certain way because they hold certain values beliefs since their culture and norms have dictated their way of life. For instance, it could be the norm of a certain place to recycle waste products and conserve water resources as a social value. In turn, people tend to follow suit through recycling and conservation as a pro-environmental value, but it turns out to be a habit and routine. Over time, the repeated act practiced regularly becomes a valuable habit that becomes beneficial to the environment and society. Through repetitive recycling, people create value for recycling and turn it into environmental benefits rather than a social norm. In this case, the social norm changes people’s behavior and belief on the environment such that they act to its advantage (Manning, 2009).

A majority of the negative environmental impact such as pollution, climate change and loss of biodiversity occurs because of human behavior. A change of behavior and habits can lead to sustainability aimed at lessening the negative impacts on the environment. For example, making individual decisions and changes in an effort to protect the environment is a sure route to a sustainable world that will be in the best interest of the environment. Carrying out campaigns on sustainability is also a sure way of changing people’s perception on the environment, and encouraging them to take initiatives to protect the environment. For instance, educating them on the benefit of conserving natural resources, recycling, and avoid pollution are some of the measures that can help change people’s behavior for the benefit of the environment. Therefore, behavior change will help reduce the negative effects caused on the environment such as pollution and deforestation.

In order to support sustainability, it is important to modify human behavior, which is feasible through bolstering people’s gut feeling and rational thinking. It is human nature to make decisions sans thinking of the consequences. Thus, it is essential to sensitize people on rational thinking before acting in order to change their behavior that have a negative impact. For example, pointing out the benefits of using little water in their daily chores or recycling will change people’s perception and behavior (Manning, 2009). Thus, people adapt to the new lifestyle, which is sustainable and acts in the best interest of environmental conservation.

Reference

Manning, C. (2009). The psychology of sustainable behavior. Minnesota Pollution Control Agent. Retrieved on 8 Nov. 2013 from http://www.cogsci.umn.edu/colloquia/docs_F12/Manning_2012.pdf

The Psychology of Sustainable Behavior