OPENING SESSION / / 21 May 2025 / 09:30 - 10:45
Chair / Presidente: Raffaello Cossu (IT)
WELCOME ADDRESSES
• Maria Cristina Lavagnolo, University of Padova (IT)
• Norbert Fraeyman, Ghent University Hospital (BE) - to be confirmed
• Marco Frey, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies (IT) - to be confirmed
• Luísa Martins, IST Técnico Lisboa (PT)
• Maria Pettersson, Luleå University of Technology (SE)
• Stefan Salhofer, BOKU University (AT)
OPENING LECTURE
Reducing overconsumption and waste in fashion: psychological drivers and technology acceptance
by Prof. Enrico Rubaltelli - Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation, University of Padova (IT)
This keynote lecture will explore the psychological foundations of human decision-making in relation to sustainable behaviors. Why are consumers often reluctant to adopt environmentally friendly practices and technologies?
Among the various factors, a key role is played by systematic psychological biases—particularly those linked to how people cope with uncertainty and develop habits.
The first part of the lecture will introduce the cognitive and emotional mechanisms underlying these biases. It will then focus on two specific domains:
Throughout the lecture, prof. Rubaltelli will present evidence-based suggestions on how to apply psychological insights - especially through behavioral nudges - to promote more sustainable consumer choices.
Enrico Rubaltelli is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Padova. His main research interests include risk perception, behavioral economics and the role of emotion regulation in human decision-making. He earned hi Ph.D. from the University of Padova and is the founder of the Judgment and Decision Making Laboratory (JDM LAB). He is also a member of the Circular Economy, Waste, Materials and Sustainability (CEWMS) Center at the University of Padova. Currently, he teaches a class on the Psychology of Economic Decisions at the School of Psychology and one on Psychology, Policy Making and Education to a Circular Economy at the School of Chemistry. Dr. Rubaltelli’s research has been published in several leading journals in psychology and the field of judgment and decision-making, including Nature Human Behavior, PNAS, Risk Analysis, Scientific Reports, British Journal of Psychology, Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, British Journal of Health Psychology, and Personality and Individual Differences.
