Christine Kormos

Program affiliation: Individualized programs

Supervisor: Dr. Robert Gifford

Research Interests

Given that human behaviour is thought to be the least understood aspect of the climate change system (IPCC, 2007), I endeavour to apply a social psychology perspective to the study of carbon-relevant human behaviours, such as vehicle use, in an effort to inform current climate change issues. As such, my masters thesis was a field intervention that examined the influence of social normative beliefs, as well as anticipated changes to quality of life, on participants’ willingness to reduce private vehicle use. Other research of mine has examined the social influences on public acceptance and adoption of new energy technologies, specifically the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. Also, in a recent meta-analysis, I quantified the association between self-reported and objective measures of proenvironmental behavior in the literature, and evaluated the potential influence of socio-demographic and methodological moderators.

Education

Ph.D. student, Individualized Program (environmental psychology), Department of Psychology, University of Victoria (2010 – Present)
M.Sc., Individualized Program with supervisor Dr. Robert Gifford, Department of Psychology, University of Victoria (2005 – 2009)
Honour’s B.Sc. (with Distinction) in Psychology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON (2000 – 2004)
B.Sc. in Biology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON (2000 – 2003)

Awards and Honours

SSHRC Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarships – Doctoral Award (2010 – 2013)
Nominee for Lieutenant Governor Silver Medal (2010)
Nominee for the SSHRC Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (2009)
Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions Graduate Fellowship (2009 – 2011)
Donald Wagg Graduate Scholarship (2008 – 2009)
University of Victoria Graduate Award (2008)
SSHRC Canada Graduate Scholarship Program – Master’s Scholarship (2006 – 2007)
President’s Scholarship from the University of Victoria (2006/2007)

Publications (Peer-reviewed)

Kormos, C., & Gifford, R. (Submitted: Journal of Environmental Psychology). The Validity of Self-Report Measures of Proenvironmental Behavior: A Meta-Analytic Review.
Gifford, R., Kormos, C., & McIntyre, A. (2011). Behavioral dimensions of climate change: drivers, responses, barriers, and interventions. WIREs Climate Change, 2, 801-827. doi: 10.1002/wcc.143
Gifford, R., Scannell, L., Kormos, C., et al. (2008). Temporal pessimism and spatial optimism in environmental assessments: An 18-nation study. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 29, 1-12.
Provost, M., Kormos, C., Kosakoski, G. & Quinsey, V. (2006). Sociosexuality in women and preference for facial masculinization and somatotype in men. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 35, 305-312.

Recent Conference Presentations

Western Psychological Association, April 2012, San Fransisco

Presented as part of symposium entitled, “New Advances in Environmental Psychology,” talk entitled, “The Validity of Self-Report Measures of Proenvironmental Behavior: A Meta-Analytic Review.”

Canadian Psychological Association Convention, July 2011, Toronto

Participated in Environmental Psychology symposium “Messaging Toward Climate Change Engagement,” talk entitled “Psychological Influences on Public Acceptance of the Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV).”
Presented poster entitled “Neighbourhood Predictors and Quality of Life.”

27th International Congress of Applied Psychology, July 2010, Melbourne

Invited to present Master’s thesis in symposium titled “Sustainable Transportation” organized by Annika Nordlund and Linda Steg as part of IAAP Division 13 Traffic Psychology & IAAP Division 4 Environmental Psychology Joint Invited Symposium. My presentation titled “Social Normative Information and Quality of Life: A Study of Sustainable Transportation Behaviour.”
Presented in IAAP Division 4 Environmental Psychology Symposium entitled “Determinants, catalysts, and barriers to sustainable behavior: Psychological influences and financial incentives.” My presentation entitled “Psychological Influences on Public Acceptance of the Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV).”

Canadian Psychological Association, June 2009, Montreal

Kormos, C., Gifford, R., Grouzet, F., & Gutberlet, J. Barriers to private vehicle use reduction: An experimental study of the influence of social normative information. Seminar.
Gifford, R., Rourke, J., Kormos, C., & Scannell, L. Neighbourhoods and quality of life: A model. Seminar.