New ASU professor explores intersection of cross-generational action for sustainability

This year, Stylianos Syropoulos joined Arizona State University as an assistant professor in the School of Sustainability, a unit of the Rob Walton College of Global Futures, and director of the Intergenerational Decisions and Effective Action (IDEA) Lab.

“ASU prides itself on interdisciplinary collaboration,” said Syropoulos. “The College of Global Futures specifically is one of the places where collaboration is not only encouraged but is already a practiced norm.”

Previously a postdoctoral researcher at Boston College, Syropoulos examined how social norms can both promote and hinder prosocial behavior, as well as how authority figures and policies shape our understanding of what is considered “normal” in issues related to sustainability. He earned his PhD in social psychology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

It was during the final two years of his doctoral studies that Syropoulos’s interest in sustainability began to take shape, offering a new lens through which to explore his research. At ASU, he now finds an environment that not only supports but thrives on this kind of cross-disciplinary inquiry — a place where scientists like him can engage in truly transdisciplinary research.

“To address complex issues such as sustainability, we need to transcend disciplinary boundaries, broaden our perspectives and learn from each other,” said Syropoulus. “This way of thinking is what ultimately led me to believe that ASU is the place for me.”

Syropoulos is looking forward to teaching courses and collaborating with all the centers at ASU that share his vision for sustainability, including ASU Farm, the Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics and the Center for Science and the Imagination (CSI).

“In the future, I hope to teach courses that will combine behavioral science with sustainability topics to equip students with core knowledge about how we can effectively promote climate mitigation and adaptation,” he said.

Syropoulos spoke with ASU News about his work and his aspirations now that he’s at ASU.

Question: What is your focus area of research? What drew you to that field?

Answer: I conduct research which aims to understand the human dimensions of morality, prosociality and sustainability, with a particular focus on our moral obligation to protect future generations.

Put simply, I am trying to get people to like each other and the environment more. It sounds simple, but in a highly polarized society in which social issues are politicized, it becomes increasingly harder to motivate individuals to act on their better nature. Ultimately, through observational and experimental approaches, I am aiming to create scalable interventions that can be implemented at various facets of life (e.g., education, our own daily routines, phone apps, reflections/thought experiments) to promote concern for others and nature.

Q: What are you looking forward to most about being a faculty member in the School of Sustainability?

A: To learn more about how other fields tackle the problem of creating a sustainable society. Although there is intellectual and methodological overlap between disciplines, each one has a different approach to the same problem. I am eager to expand my perspective through collaborations with fellow faculty members to be better able to produce meaningful research that can motivate individuals to engage in sustainable decisions.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish at the university?

A: I direct the Intergenerational Decisions and Effective Action (IDEA) Lab. The IDEA lab seeks to both advance theory on core aspects of social psychology and sustainable decisions and to also engage in efforts to apply these insights to our society.

ASU prides itself in innovation and interdisciplinarity, and I hope that the IDEA Lab will fit right in, serving as a small hub for students and researchers interested in applying psychological and behavioral science theory to real-world problems, working with field partners to promote prosociality and sustainability.