Welcome!

The van Riper Research Group focuses on solving complex problems and developing transformative solutions that require an understanding of human behavior. We work with individuals and groups to identify factors that enable and constrain adaptations to environmental degradation, particularly through the study of human values. Although we embrace mixed methods research, our lab specializes in building quantitative models that explain how and why people make decisions. Much of this work is motivated by a desire to broaden representation of stakeholder interests and guide both policy and planning relevant to resource management contexts.