livMatS Colloquium | Dr. Christian Böffel (RWTH Aachen University) | Perceived Sustainability and Acceptance of Sustainable Materials and Technologies

Abstract
Even brilliant technological advances can face significant implementation barriers if trust in and acceptance of them are limited, and if perceptions of new technologies are critically influenced by cognitive biases and heuristics. While considerable resources are invested in the development of new technologies and materials, there is a limited understanding of how they are perceived by stakeholders. In this talk, I will explore the psychological concepts of acceptance and perceived sustainability and why they may not correspond to the results of objective assessments. I will present the results of surveys and experimental studies with a focus on the construction sector and sustainable building materials. My goal is to highlight the potential pitfalls associated with the subjective evaluation of sustainability, starting from a person's beliefs to the influence of objective material properties and to draw conclusions about strategies to increase the acceptance of new sustainable materials and technologies.

Brief Bio
Dr. Christian Böffel is a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Work and Engineering Psychology at RWTH Aachen University. After studying Psychology and Chemistry, he received his PhD in Psychology on Human-Avatar Interaction from RWTH Aachen University. His research covers various aspects of human-technology interaction and is currently focused on the perception of novel and sustainable materials and technologies, in particular related to sustainable construction.