Trevor S. Lies

Department of Psychology

University of Kansas

Primary lines of research

Climate Change Skepticism

Despite a two-decades-old scientific consensus that human-caused climate change is occurring, certain sects of the population remain unconcerned about its effects and skeptical of its existence.

Integrating insights from sociology, social psychology, and decolonial theory, my MA thesis work explored the racialization of climate change skepticism. More specifically, I tested for racial differences in climate change skepticism and whether climate change skepticism was related to racial identification.

STATE PARKS FIELD WORK

In the summer of 2019, the Midwest United States experienced historic severe flooding. Research suggests that extreme weather events may serve as "signaling events" to convince skeptics of the threat posed by climate change.

To explore this hypothesis empirically, I conducted a series of interviews with state park visitors and employees around the U.S.

Results with state park visitors suggest that white participants were less likely than other participants to link extreme weather to climate change, despite reporting more personal experience of flooding.

Another focus of this research is to interrogate the cultural psychology of 'parks' and how they work to get people back to nature amid ongoing ecological devastation.

Climate of Community

In collaboration with The Resilient Activist, I worked to document growing climate anxiety in the Lawrence and Kansas City communities.

We conducted a series of focus groups with local environmental activists which resulted in a report you can find here!

The Resilient Activist offers me a space to engage in work related to the climate crisis and other environmental problems with an eye toward applied, community work. The research that I do means nothing if it is not also in conversation with the real, lived experiences of people at the forefront of these issues.

CONCEPTIONS OF ENVIRONMENT

Environmentalism has historically been associated with modern (white) sensibilities which work to marginalize people of color and the global south in discussions of environmentalism and in policy decisions aimed at addressing environmental problems.

What does the general public understand environmentalism to be?

Our research has thus far demonstrated that the majority of people living in the U.S. have a limited understanding of the intersection between environmental and social problems and many outright deny a link between racism and environmental problems. We are currently writing up this research to submit for publication in the Summer of 2023.

Publications

Lies, T. S., Adams, G., & Santangelo, B. (2022). Decolonial Considerations of Environmentalism: Observations from a (US) State Park. Psychology in Society. 64, 21-43

Nagel, J. & Lies, T. S. (2022). Re-Gendering Climate Change: Men and Masculinity in Climate Research, Policy and Practice. Frontiers in Climate. 77.

Nagel, J., Cooper, D. H., Lee, T., & Lies, T. S. (2021). Unmasking the Racial and Gender Politics of the US Pandemic. Peace Review. 33(1), 24-32.

Lies, T. S. & Adams, G., & Santangelo, B. (Under review). Climate Change and Environmental Concern in U.S. State Parks: Park Employees as Institutional Actors.

Projects in Prep

Lies, T. S. & Adams, G. (In prep). Investment in Whiteness and Climate Change Skepticism.

Lies, T. S., Adams, G., Aaron, S., Gilbert, B., Arbogast, A., Fulton, N., Morin, H., & Vallejo, A. (In prep). Focus Group Investigation of Climate Change Anxiety Among Environmental Activists.

Lies, T. S., Omar, S. M., & Adams, G. (In prep). (Hegemonic) Conceptions of Environmentalism: Nature Preservation, Sustainable Capitalism, and Race-Evasion.

Lies, T. S., Omar, S. M., & Adams, G. (In prep). Understanding the Politicization of Environmental Concern.

Fellowships, Grants, & Academic Awards

Lawrence Wrightsman Graduate Student Research Award, KU 2022

Jack Brehm Graduate Student Research Award, KU 2022

CLAS Graduate Scholarly Development Travel Award, KU 2021

Society for Personality and Social Psychology Graduate Student Travel Award 2021

Libraries Open Educational Resources Grant, KU 2021

Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies Tinker Field Research Grant, KU 2021

Jack Brehm Graduate Student Research Award, KU 2020

Center for Undergraduate Research, Research-Intensive Course Mini-Grant, KU 2020

Graduate Student Travel Award, KU 2020

Allen S. Wilbur Scholarship, KU 2019

Undergraduate Research Award, KU 2019

Undergraduate Travel Award, KU 2019

Rock Chalk Scholarship, KU 2016

Academic Presentations

National Conference Presentations

Lies, T. S. (2023). Decolonial Considerations of Environmentalism in U.S. State Parks. (15-minute presentation). To be presented at the 2023 conference for the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues.

Lies, T. S., Vallejo, A. (2023). Climate Emotions as a Collective Process: Insights from Research with Environmental Activists. (15-minute presentation). Presented at the inaugural Environment, Justice, and the Politics of Emotion Symposium (Virtual).

Lies, T. S. (2023). Environmental Activism, Climate Change Anxiety, and Environmental Justice: Insights from Mixed Methods Research. (Poster). Presented at the 2023 conference for the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.

Lies, T. S. (2023). (Hegemonic) Conceptions of Environmentalism: Conservation of Nature and Ignorance of Race. (Poster). Presented at the Sustainability Psychology Preconference of the 2023 conference for the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.

Lies, T. S. (2023). The Cult of Wilderness or Climate Justice? Understanding the Politicization of Environmental Concern. (Data blitz). Presented at the Political Psychology Preconference of the 2023 conference for the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.

Lies, T. S. & Adams, G. (2022). Investment in Whiteness and Climate Change Denial. Presented at Society for Personality and Social Psychology Political Psychology Pre-conference. (Poster).

Lies, T. S. & Adams, G. (2022). Investment in Whiteness and Climate Change Denial. Presented at Society for Personality and Social Psychology 2022 Conference. (Poster).

Lies, T. S. & Adams, G. (2021). Political Ideology Predicts Openness to Scientific Information in Unsettled Domains. Presented at Society for Personality and Social Psychology 2021 Virtual Conference. (Poster).

Lies, T. S. & Adams, G. (2020). Beliefs about Extreme Weather: Natural Cycle or Anthropogenic Climate Change? Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues 2020 Conference (Poster). (Conference canceled).

Lies, T. S., Mosley, A., & Biernat, M. (2019) The Effect of Construal Level on Perceptions of a School Shooting. Presented at Society for Personality and Social Psychology 2019 Conference. (Poster)

Invited Talks

Lies, T. S. (30 March, 2022). Identity Dynamics of Climate Change Skepticism: Implications for Policy and Communication. To be presented at The Worldwide Climate Justice Teach-in. Lawrence, KS.

Lies, T. S. (2021). Investment in Whiteness and Climate Change Denial. Presented at University of Kansas Red Hot Research Symposium. Lawrence, KS.

Lies, T. S. (2021) Climate Change Denial: The Roles of Racial and Gender Identification. Presented at Disruptions and Eruptions Conference. Zoom. Penn State University. State College, PA.

University Symposium Poster Presentations

Lies, T. S., Mosley, A., & Biernat, M. (2019) The Effect of Construal Level on Perceptions of a School Shooting. Presented at KU Mini College. (Oral)

Lies, T. S., Mosley, A., & Biernat, M. (2019) The Effect of Construal Level on Perceptions of a School Shooting. Presented at 2019 University of Kansas Undergraduate Research Symposium. (Oral)

Lies, T. S., Mosley, A., & Biernat, M. (2019) The Effect of Construal Level on Perceptions of a School Shooting. Presented at 2019 University of Kansas Symposium for Undergraduate Psychology Engagement and Research. (Oral)

Lies, T. S., Mosley, A., & Biernat, M. (2018) The Effect of Construal Level on Perceptions of a School Shooting. Presented at University of Kansas Fall Undergraduate Poster Session. (Poster)

Lies, T. S. & Mosley, A., & Biernat, M. (2018). The Effect of Construal Level on Men’s Objectification of Pregnant and Sexy Women. Presented at University of Kansas Undergraduate Research Symposium. (Oral)