Dr Paul Sparks

Biography

BA Social Psychology (University of Kent) 1985
DPhil Experimental Psychology (University of Oxford) 1989
Scientific Officer / Senior Scientific Officer, Institute of Food Research (1989-1999)
Senior Lecturer, University of Sussex (1999- )

Director of Undergraduate Studies, Department of Psychology (2003 - 2005). Programme Director MSc in Health Psychology (1999- ) and MSc in Applied Social Psychology (2001-2003).
Social Psychology Subject Group Chair (2001-2003).
Currently convenor of the following courses: Health, Psychology & Social Context; Environmental Psychology.

Sussex University Psychology Home Page

My research work focuses on attitude theory and its application to environment- and health-related behaviours. Within this broad domain, I am interested in the relationship between people's attitudes and moral judgements, self-identity, ambivalence, social influence processes, affective processes, decision-making and behaviour. Linked to the above themes in diverse ways, I have interests in integrity, affirmation processes, the psychology of well-being, social capital, social dilemmas, risk perception, communication, persuasion and attitude change, social explanations, the evaluation and selection of explanations, social perception, and the history of social psychology (including some classic themes such as the relationship between the individual and society). Current and recent doctoral students have been researching cancer screening decisions, dissonance processes, self-affirmation theory, licensing effects, engagement with the natural environment, risk and mountaineering, and the psychology of autonomy.

Health, Psychology and Social Context; Social Psychology; Individuals and Groups; Contemporary Issues in Psychology

Student Consultation

Office Hours (Summer 2013 term): Wednesday 12:00 - 13:00; Friday 12:00 - 13:00

van Prooijen, Anne-Marie, Sparks, Paul and Jessop, Donna C (2012) Promoting or jeopardizing lighter carbon footprints? Self-affirmation can polarize environmental orientations. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 4 (2). pp. 238-243. ISSN 1948-5506

Pavey, Louisa Jane, Greitemeyer, Tobias and Sparks, Paul (2012) "I help because I want to, not because you tell me to": empathy increases autonomously motivated helping. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 38 (5). pp. 681-689. ISSN 0146-1672

Pavey, Louisa J and Sparks, Paul (2012) Autonomy and defensiveness: Experimentally increasing adaptive responses to health-risk information via priming and self-affirmation. Psychology and Health, 27 (3). pp. 259-276. ISSN 0887-0446

Brown, Rupert, deVisser, Richard, Dittmar, Helga, Drury, John, Farsides, Tom, Jessop, Donna and Sparks, Paul (2012) Social psychology and policy-making: past neglect, future promise. Public Policy Research, 18 (4). pp. 227-234. ISSN 1744-5396

Pavey, Louisa, Greitemeyer, Tobias and Sparks, Paul (2011) Highlighting relatedness promotes prosocial motives and behavior. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37 (7). pp. 905-917. ISSN 0146-1672

Sparks, Paul and Farsides, Tom (2011) Social dimensions of judgments of integrity in public figures. British Journal of Social Psychology, 50 (1). pp. 170-179. ISSN 0144-6665

Sparks, Paul and Farsides, Tom (2011) Social dimensions of judgements of integrity in public figures. British Journal of Social Psychology, 50 (1). pp. 170-179.

Hinds, Joe and Sparks, Paul (2011) The affective quality of human-natural environment relationships. Evolutionary Psychology, 9 (4). pp. 451-469.

Pavey, Louisa and Sparks, Paul (2010) Autonomy and reactions to health-risk information. Psychology and Health, 25 (7). pp. 855-872. ISSN 0887-0446

Sparks, Paul, Jessop, Donna C, Chapman, James and Holmes, Katherine (2010) Pro-environmental actions, climate change, and defensiveness: do self-affirmations make a difference to people's motives and beliefs about making a difference? British Journal of Social Psychology, 49 (3). pp. 553-568. ISSN 0144-6665

Hinds, Joe and Sparks, Paul (2009) Investigating Environmental Identity, Well-Being, and Meaning. Ecopsychology, 1 (4). pp. 181-186. ISSN 0022-1678

Hinds, Joe and Sparks, Paul (2009) Investigating environmental identity, meaning and well-being. Ecopsychology, 1 (4). pp. 181-186. ISSN 1942-9347

Pavey, Louisa and Sparks, Paul (2009) Reactance, autonomy and the paths to persuasion: examining perceptions of threats to freedom and informational value. Motivation and Emotion, 33 (3). pp. 277-290. ISSN 0146-7239

Sparks, Paul and Farsides, Tom (2009) The Pub, the people, the place, the passions, and the principles: the social and personal context of engagement in a collective action. Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship, 2 (1). pp. 40-49. ISSN 1944-1207

Jessop, Donna, Simmonds, L V and Sparks, P (2009) Motivational and behavioral consequences of self-affirmation interventions: A study of sunscreen use among women. Psychology and Health, 24 (5). pp. 529-544. ISSN 0887-0446

Sparks, Paul and Farsides, Tom (2009) The pub, the people, the place, the passions and the principles: the social and personal context of engagement in a collective action. Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship, 1 (2). pp. 40-49.

Churchill, Sue, Jessop, Donna and Sparks, Paul (2008) Impulsive and/or planned behaviour: can impulsivity contribute to the predictive utility of the theory of planned behaviour? British Journal of Social Psychology, 47 (4). pp. 631-646. ISSN 0144-6665

Pavey, Louisa J and Sparks, Paul (2008) Threats to autonomy: Motivational response to health-risk information about smoking. European Journal of Social Psychology, 38 (5). pp. 852-865. ISSN 0046-2772

Hinds, Joe and Sparks, Paul (2008) Engaging with the natural environment: The role of affective connection and identity. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 28 (2). pp. 109-120. ISSN 0272-4944

Hinds, Joe and Sparks, Paul (2008) Engaging with the natural environment: the role of affective connection and identity. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 28 (2). pp. 109-120.

Conner, Mark and Sparks, Paul (2002) Ambivalence and attitudes. European Review of Social Psychology, 12 (1). pp. 37-70. ISSN 1479-227X