DR AMY ISHAM

Amy is an Environmental Psychologist. Her research aims to find alternative routes to a sustainable prosperity that do not rely on having ever more income and ever more stuff. Much of Amy’s work explores the concept of ‘flow’—an experience of being totally immersed in an activity, even losing track of time, as a route towards a less materialistic flourishing. Flow has been shown to lead to higher states of human wellbeing and (potentially) to impose lower environmental impacts. However, questions remain surrounding exactly how flow is created and the extent to which its associations with well-being and the environment remain over time and across contexts.

Amy completed her PhD at the University of Surrey. Under the supervision of Dr Birgitta Gatersleben and Prof Tim Jackson, her thesis examined the relevance of flow to the relationship between materialism and reduced personal well-being. Beginning in 2019, Amy also worked on the Powering Productivity project, investigating the relationship between wellbeing and productivity. She also collaborates with CUSP colleagues on research exploring how businesses can promote more sustainable lifestyles.

Prior to beginning her PhD at Surrey, Amy obtained a BSc in Psychology from the University of Warwick and an MSc in the Psychology of Advertising from Lancaster University. Her wider research interests include the impact of consumer culture upon personal and societal well-being, responsible advertising, and positive psychology.

Resecent publications

Isham, A., Elf, P., & Jackson, T. (2022). Self-Transcendent Experiences as Promoters of Ecological Wellbeing? Exploration of the Evidence and Hypotheses to be Tested. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1051478

Isham, A., Geusen, J., & Gatersleben, B. (2022). Framing plant-based products in terms of their health vs environmental benefits: interactions with individual wellbeing. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19), 11948. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191911948-

Isham, A., Verfuerth, C., Armstrong, A., Elf, P., Gatersleben, B., & Jackson, T. (2022). The problematic role of materialistic values in the pursuit of sustainable well-being. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(6), 3673; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063673

Dittmar, H., & Isham, A. (2022). Materialistic Value Orientation and Wellbeing. Current Opinion in Psychology, 46, 101337. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101337

Isham, A., & Jackson, T. (2022). Finding flow: exploring the potential for sustainable fulfilment. The Lancet Planetary Health, 6(1), e66-e74. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(21)00286-2