'CATA' RESEARCH GROUP

Who we were

We were an interdisciplinary group of researchers that examined how societies cope with ecological shocks, with respect to their sociocultural and ecological contexts. We combined insights & methods from social psychology, cognitive sciences, social anthropology but also ethology.

We were hosted by the LAPSCO (CNRS UMR6024), the Université Clermont Auvergne, and the International Research Center of Disaster Science and Sustainable Development in Clermont-Ferrand, France.

Our research had been funded by the ANR, the CNRS, the CAP2025 (16-IDEX-0001 CAP 20-25) project, the British Academy (NA20\100004 & NA21\210013) and the MAIF Foundation.

What we did

We ran online research seminars:

The 'Crowd and Collective Action' seminar series was running until April 2023.
The 'Communities in the Anthropocene' seminar series was running between November-2021 and May-2022.
The 'Human Behavior in Crisis Situations' seminar series was running between December-2021 and May-2022.
The 'Psychology of disasters' seminar was running from January-2021 to April-2021.

We conducted field- & lab- and fundamental & applied research projects, e.g.:

The influence of socioeconomic status on vulnerability to natural disasters and related health risks (La Palma, Spain) with the CNRS Laboratoire Magmas et Volcans, the CNRS Laboratoire de Météorologie Physique, the CNRS & INSERM Laboratoire GReD Génétique, Reproduction et Développement and the Hospital Universitario Ntra. Sra. De Candelaria
The role of self-construal on preference for certain evacuation strategies
The determinants of affective experience in crowds with the Fondation MAIF, STRANE Innovation and the CNRS Laboratoire de Psychologie et d'Ergonomie Appliquées
The relationship between environmental harshness in volcanic environments and social preferences (Sicily, Italy; Guadeloupe, France)
The role of local ecological knowledge in emergency preparedness (Tongoa, Vanuatu)
The socio-cognitive determinants of successful marine protected areas with the ACTE Lab and the Agence Française de Développement
The impact of ecological shocks on primate sociality (Issa, Tanzania) with the Greater Mahale Ecosystem Research and Conservation
Social climate under the threat of scarcity: Learning from exposure to droughts (see the project website)