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Publications

Steinhardt Sustainability Group

A model of human development, categorized as Individual (Biology, Psychology), Microsystem (Family, school, water quality, ecosystemic services, neighborhood playgrounds and green space, indoor quality and temperature), Mesosystem, Exosystem (Social services, mass media including coverage of natural disasters, workplace), Macrosystem (biodiversity, climate, economic model, ideologies, policies, culture) and Chronosystem (historical and developmental time)

Bringing Natural Ecosystems into the Bioecological Model of Human Development

Cuartas, J., & Morris-Perez, P. (2025). 
Nature Human Behaviour

The bioecological model of human development is among the most influential frameworks in the social sciences. We argue that it is time to integrate natural ecosystems into this model. This approach will shape research, practice and policy to promote both healthy human development and an environmentally sustainable future.

A child with their arms folded looking upset, their face covered in dirt or dust

High Temperatures And Violent Child Punishment At Home: Evidence From Six Countries

Cuartas, J., & Camacho, A. (2025).  
Psychology of Violence, advance online publication

This study shows that unusually high temperatures are linked to more frequent use of severe physical punishment and psychological aggression against young children in six low- and middle-income countries. Using geolocated household surveys and climate data, it provides early evidence that heat exposure contributes to violent parenting behaviors. The findings point to climate change as a risk factor for family violence and stress the need for interventions to support caregivers under environmental stress.

Cover of the "Routledge Handbook on Climate Crisis Communication" edited by Alison Anderson and Candice Howarth, featuring a photo of a forest fire burning trees

Routledge Handbook on Climate Crisis Communication

Edited by: Anderson, Alison, and Candice Howarth (2025)

In one of the chapters in this timely edited volume, Prof. Shondel Nero and her co-author Prof. Emeritus Raul P. Lejano (Teaching & Learning) examine the Ideological dimensions of climate discourse.

Two trees with no leaves side by side

Nurturing Care As A Critical Buffer Against Climate Change Impacts On Child Development.

Cuartas Jorge, and Francis Vergunst (2025) 
PLOS Global Public Health 5(4)

As climate change increasingly threatens the well-being of children worldwide, a new article by NYU’s Prof. Jorge Cuartas and co-author highlight the critical role of nurturing care in buffering children from its most harmful effects.

Two older people sitting on a bus, photographed so only the back of their heads are visible

Safety Using Public Buses In Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities: An Exploratory Study In Two North American Cities.

Chippendale, Tracy, et.al (2025). 
The Gerontologist 65 (5)

How can cities ensure that aging populations can move safely and sustainably? In a new study, Prof. Chippendale and co-authors explore the barriers older adults face when using public buses in low- and moderate-income urban neighborhoods.

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