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The purpose of this research is to explore how individuals with high socioeconomic status (SES) perceive their personal engagement in addressing the issue of climate change. In doing so, this project aims to highlight the attitudes and experiences of individuals with high socioeconomic status and how they may regard their position to take action against climate change within the wider society. By means of an online qualitative survey, we intend to capture in-depth participant responses to direct attention to the attitudes of individuals who not only disproportionally contribute to the climate crisis, but who are also in a prime position in society to incite more long-term and meaningful change.

Physical inactivity is prevalent in older adults and contributes to age-related decline in function, health, well-being, and quality of life. Recreational football for older adults has shown promise for promoting health benefits. This study explores the lived experiences of older adults engaging in a walking and recreational football intervention and identifies factors that affect behaviours and can encourage change in this population. A purposive sample (n = 14; aged 67 ± 5 years) of the lived experiences of those participating in a recreational football intervention took part in two focus groups. The participants’ responses were grouped into three-time reflecting specific points in their lives: what stopped them from playing football, what got them playing, and what is needed for them to continue playing in the future. Within each of these time points in their lives, themes were identified. The key findings and practical recommendations were that football needs to be adapted and local, that the priority to play football changes over time, and that football itself is a fundamentally intrinsic motivator; ‘it’s in your blood’. The findings can be used to inform future interventions, encourage participation, and advise on the best practices for key stakeholders in the physical activity domain.

This study aims to explore vegans' perceptions of their dietary group. In particular, whether vegans hold certain beliefs about what omnivores think of them (ie: meta-stereotypes). This will be explored in relation to dietary identity and attitudes toward the out-group.

All organisms must allocate resources to reproduce and survive. The study of intraspecific life history variation can provide insight into how different selective pressures, such as herbivory or climate, can favor different life history strategies and constrain others depending on which life stages are most vulnerable to the selective pressures. I examined how variation in herbivory and climate influences variation in the flowering size of plants and the occurrence of semelparity versus iteroparity at sites across part of the introduced range of an invasive plant, houndstongue (Cynoglossum officinale, Boraginaceae). Houndstongue is a short-lived semelparous perennial in its native range. In its introduced range, a previous study documented increased rates of iteroparity and a higher threshold flowering size compared to the native range. I hypothesized that the recent introduction of a specialist biocontrol root-boring insect (Mogulones crucifer) would decrease threshold flowering size, and reduce the proportion of iteroparous plants in the introduced range at sites with the weevil present. I surveyed 24 sites across the northwestern United States to quantify the frequency of semelparity versus iteroparity and to estimate abundance of M. crucifer. I found that the proportion of iteroparous plants varied across sites and that winter precipitation and weevil presence best explained this variation. Sites with greater precipitation and no weevils had a higher frequency of iteroparity. I used demographic data collected from six sites to estimate threshold flowering size. Sites with a higher attack rate by weevils had a lower threshold flowering size than those with a lower attack rate. The variation in frequency of flowering and threshold flowering size that I documented in North American houndstongue populations and the relationships between this variation and herbivory and climate provide evidence for how selective pressures shape the life histories of invasive plants.