Psychology and behaviour articles from across Nature Portfolio

People constantly decide whether to stop what they are doing to do something else. Here, the authors show that the quality of available options has a greater influence on people’s decisions to help others than to help themselves.

The rapid growth of urban lighting infrastructure has increased outdoor night light exposure and potential sentimental risks among residents. This study provides data-driven insights into how light wavelength affects expressed sentiment, informing urban lighting design to promote public health.

Most United Kingdom residents show limited ability to act on climate change, especially in transport, food, and civic life. A new method measures both personal habits and public efforts to reveal who feels able and motivated to push for change.

Urbanization in the Global South is accelerating amid a confluence of ecological, social, and developmental pressures that diverge considerably from those experienced in the Global North. Recent advances in spatial analysis, environmental modeling, and related fields are reshaping scholarly understandings of these multifaceted challenges and the targeted policy responses needed to address them. The Urban Sustainability in the Global South Collection, published in Scientific Reports, compiles interdisciplinary research contributions that elucidate ongoing urban transformations and provide evidence-based insights to inform pathways toward inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable urban futures, aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11).

Older adults face higher risks from climate change. We propose an age-sensitive climate adaptation framework, which emphasizes non-digital communication, financial assistance and community-based strategies for older populations.

Climate denial in political discourse is fuelled by psychological factors such as psychological distance, cognitive dissonance, confirmation bias, loss aversion, existential anxiety and social identity. Effective communication strategies addressing deniers’ motivations are crucial as denial undermines urgent climate action.

Objective assessments indicate that extreme heat is increasing health risks; however, many of the most exposed populations do not perceive extreme heat as risky. This misperception may undermine public awareness of the need for effective cooling strategies, leaving a dangerous blind spot in adaptation and protection.