The main aim of the meeting is to explore how, when and why individuals imagine, envision, and project themselves into, an environmentally and socially sustainable utopian society, as well as how this process can influence their current behaviors and their intention to engage in behavioural and social change.

Indeed, imagining and contemplating the future is a fundamental driver of human motivation and daily behavior. Without a vision of the positive future consequences of their actions, individuals may prioritize short-term gains or immediate gratification at the expense of long-term sustainability (Wittman & Sircova, 2018; Sahraeian et al., 2021). They may fail to recognize the cumulative impact of their actions on the environment or underestimate the long-term consequences of their choices, leading to inaction or environmentally harmful behaviors (Scholten et al., 2019; Odum et al., 2020). For example, imagine a woman recycling glass bottles without understanding the ultimate purpose of her efforts, or a man being told to reduce his meat consumption but unsure what to cook instead. Neither would be motivated to invest much effort in their ecological initiatives.

A growing body of literature suggests that envisioning the future can motivate individuals to work towards social change. For example, studies have examined individuals’ propensity to engage in mental simulations of utopian futures (Fernando et al., 2018), the ability to generate such mental simulations (Wright et al., 2020; Bosone et al., 2023), and the beliefs associated with such a simulated future (Bain et al., 2013), demonstrating that they are linked to intentions to engage in actions supporting ecological and social sustainability.

The diversity of concepts studied concerning individuals’ engagement in mental simulations of desirable collective futures calls for a synthesis and sharing of the empirical data and methodologies available on this subject. The main objective of the conference is thus to better describe and define this phenomenon, understanding how it is studied worldwide from the perspective of social and environmental psychology.

What psychological concepts are related to individuals imagining, envisioning, prospecting a positive and sustainable collective future? What are the similarities and differences between these concepts? How have they been studied? How are they linked to citizens’ motivation to engage in actions for sustainable social change? 

The “small group” format is ideal for promoting exchanges and co-construction of projects. We will therefore limit the number of speakers and attendees (keynote speakers, selected presenters, and organizers) to a maximum of 30-40 people.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The conference will last three days, featuring one keynote per day and presentations from selected researchers based on submitted scientific abstracts. The call for submissions will be open by the end of Ocyober 2024, and the deadline for submission will be on the 16th December 2024.

The conference days will be organized around presentations by expert researchers in this field, alternating with presentations by participants of their research/thesis work, allowing for discussions with expert speakers and other participants.

Day 1: What and how do people imagine when thinking about a sustainable future?

• 12:30-13:30: Lunch/Buffet with an introduction of the organizers and the program
• 13:30-14:30: Opening keynote: a panorama on what is being done about this around the world
• 14:30-15:30: Coffee break
• 15:30-17:00: First session of talks

Day 2: Can envisioning be boosted / influenced / taught?

• 09:30: Second session of talks
• 11:00: Coffe break
• 11:30: Third session of talks
• 13:00: Lunch Break
• 14:00-15:00: KEYNOTE – Morgana Lizzio-Wilson
• 15:00: Coffe break
• 15:30-17:00: Early Career Researcher meet-up: a dedicated time for doctoral and post-doctoral researchers to introduce themselves to the community, and for senior researchers to scout for young talents
• 19:00: Gala Evening

Day 3: Envisioning the future and engaging in behavioural and social change

• 09:30-10:30: KEYNOTE (details to come)
• 10:30: Coffe break
• 11:00-12:30: Fourth session of talks
• 13:00: Lunch Break
• 14:00-15:00: What Next? Round-table on the Future of “Social and Environmental Psychology of the Future”
• 15:00: Closing Remarks