Matthew Apps
@brainapps.bsky.social
Full Professor of Cognitive Computational Neuroscience & MSNlab PI-- Motivation, decision-making & social cognition in human brains. Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, UK.
www.msn-lab.com
www.msn-lab.com
PhD co-supervised by Clare Anderson @bagshaap.bsky.social & @selmalugtmeijer.bsky.social.
December 4, 2025 at 2:00 PM
PhD co-supervised by Clare Anderson @bagshaap.bsky.social & @selmalugtmeijer.bsky.social.
Now @dlbarack.bsky.social in this next session with his more theoretical perspective on foraging from food to inquiry.
November 5, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Now @dlbarack.bsky.social in this next session with his more theoretical perspective on foraging from food to inquiry.
Reposted by Matthew Apps
Read more about the story behind the project here - communities.springernature.com/posts/boosti...
Thanks to all the co-authors across @sdnl.bsky.social, @msnlab.bsky.social, @thechbh.bsky.social, @uob-sop.bsky.social, @scanunit.bsky.social & others
Thanks to all the co-authors across @sdnl.bsky.social, @msnlab.bsky.social, @thechbh.bsky.social, @uob-sop.bsky.social, @scanunit.bsky.social & others
Boosting climate motivation with psychological interventions
Actions that protect the environment are crucial but often require effort, which people avoid. In a large international collaboration, we identified psychological interventions that can effectively bo...
communities.springernature.com
November 5, 2025 at 10:35 AM
Read more about the story behind the project here - communities.springernature.com/posts/boosti...
Thanks to all the co-authors across @sdnl.bsky.social, @msnlab.bsky.social, @thechbh.bsky.social, @uob-sop.bsky.social, @scanunit.bsky.social & others
Thanks to all the co-authors across @sdnl.bsky.social, @msnlab.bsky.social, @thechbh.bsky.social, @uob-sop.bsky.social, @scanunit.bsky.social & others
Reposted by Matthew Apps
Finally, we found that people who believe climate change is man-made and support policies to protect the planet had higher pro-environmental motivation specifically.
People lower in trait apathy and who rated the task as less effortful were more likely to help both causes.
People lower in trait apathy and who rated the task as less effortful were more likely to help both causes.
November 5, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Finally, we found that people who believe climate change is man-made and support policies to protect the planet had higher pro-environmental motivation specifically.
People lower in trait apathy and who rated the task as less effortful were more likely to help both causes.
People lower in trait apathy and who rated the task as less effortful were more likely to help both causes.
Reposted by Matthew Apps
Using computational modelling, we showed that these effective interventions changed how rewards 💰 for the climate 🌍 (vs. food charity) were devalued by effort 💪.
This was independent of how noisy participants' choices were 🤔
This was independent of how noisy participants' choices were 🤔
November 5, 2025 at 10:29 AM
Using computational modelling, we showed that these effective interventions changed how rewards 💰 for the climate 🌍 (vs. food charity) were devalued by effort 💪.
This was independent of how noisy participants' choices were 🤔
This was independent of how noisy participants' choices were 🤔
Reposted by Matthew Apps
Two interventions robustly decreased the preference to help food over climate, across measures and analyses.
These interventions:
- decreased psychological distance to the negative effects of climate change
- used system justification theory to promote pro-environmental action
These interventions:
- decreased psychological distance to the negative effects of climate change
- used system justification theory to promote pro-environmental action
November 5, 2025 at 10:29 AM
Two interventions robustly decreased the preference to help food over climate, across measures and analyses.
These interventions:
- decreased psychological distance to the negative effects of climate change
- used system justification theory to promote pro-environmental action
These interventions:
- decreased psychological distance to the negative effects of climate change
- used system justification theory to promote pro-environmental action
Reposted by Matthew Apps
We tested the 11 expert-sourced interventions from the International Climate Psychology Collaboration led by
@madalina.bsky.social,
@kimdoell.bsky.social, @jbakcoleman.bsky.social & @jayvanbavel.bsky.social
See doi.org/10.1126/scia... & doi.org/10.1038/s415... (all the data are freely available!)
@madalina.bsky.social,
@kimdoell.bsky.social, @jbakcoleman.bsky.social & @jayvanbavel.bsky.social
See doi.org/10.1126/scia... & doi.org/10.1038/s415... (all the data are freely available!)
The International Climate Psychology Collaboration: Climate change-related data collected from 63 countries - Scientific Data
Scientific Data - The International Climate Psychology Collaboration: Climate change-related data collected from 63 countries
doi.org
November 5, 2025 at 10:28 AM
We tested the 11 expert-sourced interventions from the International Climate Psychology Collaboration led by
@madalina.bsky.social,
@kimdoell.bsky.social, @jbakcoleman.bsky.social & @jayvanbavel.bsky.social
See doi.org/10.1126/scia... & doi.org/10.1038/s415... (all the data are freely available!)
@madalina.bsky.social,
@kimdoell.bsky.social, @jbakcoleman.bsky.social & @jayvanbavel.bsky.social
See doi.org/10.1126/scia... & doi.org/10.1038/s415... (all the data are freely available!)
Reposted by Matthew Apps
People were more willing to exert effort when:
💪 the effort required was 🔽
💰 the reward available was 🔼
In the control group without intervention, motivation was higher to provide food than mitigate climate change 🌍
➡️ Interventions that promote climate motivation are key
💪 the effort required was 🔽
💰 the reward available was 🔼
In the control group without intervention, motivation was higher to provide food than mitigate climate change 🌍
➡️ Interventions that promote climate motivation are key
November 5, 2025 at 10:25 AM
People were more willing to exert effort when:
💪 the effort required was 🔽
💰 the reward available was 🔼
In the control group without intervention, motivation was higher to provide food than mitigate climate change 🌍
➡️ Interventions that promote climate motivation are key
💪 the effort required was 🔽
💰 the reward available was 🔼
In the control group without intervention, motivation was higher to provide food than mitigate climate change 🌍
➡️ Interventions that promote climate motivation are key
Reposted by Matthew Apps
3,055 ppts from 6 countries 🇧🇬🇬🇷🇳🇬🇸🇪🇬🇧🇺🇸 did our new online Pro-Environmental Effort Task ✨ the PEET ✨
On each trial, they choose between rest or work: exerting effort by clicking boxes to earn more credits 💪
Credits were donations to a climate charity 🌍 or a matched control food charity
On each trial, they choose between rest or work: exerting effort by clicking boxes to earn more credits 💪
Credits were donations to a climate charity 🌍 or a matched control food charity
November 5, 2025 at 10:23 AM
3,055 ppts from 6 countries 🇧🇬🇬🇷🇳🇬🇸🇪🇬🇧🇺🇸 did our new online Pro-Environmental Effort Task ✨ the PEET ✨
On each trial, they choose between rest or work: exerting effort by clicking boxes to earn more credits 💪
Credits were donations to a climate charity 🌍 or a matched control food charity
On each trial, they choose between rest or work: exerting effort by clicking boxes to earn more credits 💪
Credits were donations to a climate charity 🌍 or a matched control food charity