Red X iconGreen tick iconYellow tick icon
Skip to main content

LecturerMaddie Judge image

Otago Business School room 4.36
Email  maddie.judge@otago.ac.nz

Maddie is a researcher in social and environmental psychology, and is passionate about using her expertise in human behaviour to help solve real-world social problems. She completed her PhD in Psychology at Victoria University of Wellington and has since held positions at the University of Melbourne, the University of Groningen and in Te Maea in the Otago Business School.

One of her primary research areas focuses on how social psychological processes can accelerate or hinder sustainability transitions, such as the protein transition – a widespread shift in production and consumption systems from animal to plant-based proteins. Her work in this area has included investigating how misperceptions of other actors can act as barriers to climate action, the role of social identities in consumer activism, and the impacts of imagining alternative collective futures.

She has also published theoretical articles on the public polarization of environmental issues and how moral innovators can initiate societal shifts toward more sustainable behaviours.

Another line of research examines how humans perceive and relate to nature, other animals, and artifacts. This includes developing a theoretical framework for folk theories of artifact creation and exploring when and why “magical” social traces are perceived to transfer from creators to objects.

Maddie is enthusiastic about fostering collaborations between academics and non-academics. Currently, she is researching scientists’ identities and motivations to develop strategies that will enhance partnerships between scientists, Māori, industry, and other community groups.

Teaching responsibilities

Maddie’s teaching responsibilities include:

Office hours

Tuesdays 11:00am-12:00pm

Publications

Judge, M., Ruckstuhl, K., & Daellenbach, U. (2024). Survey of scientists’ engagement behaviours in Aotearoa New Zealand. Dunedin, New Zealand: Dean's Office, Otago Business School, University of Otago. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10523/42982 Working Paper; Discussion Paper; Technical Report

Wang, X., Judge, M., & Steg, L. (2024). Climate action on Twitter: Perceived barriers for actions and actors, and sentiments during COP26. Environmental Research Communications. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1088/2515-7620/ad7fbc Journal - Research Article

Judge, M., Bouman, T., Steg, L., & Bolderdijk, J. W. (2024). Accelerating social tipping points in sustainable behaviors: Insights from a dynamic model of moralized social change. One Earth, 7, 759-770. doi: 10.1016/j.oneear.2024.04.004 Journal - Research Other

Judge, M. (2023, November). How correcting misperceptions could help accelerate transitions. Verbal presentation at the 17th Otago Energy Research Centre (OERC) Symposium: An Energy Research Agenda for 2050, Dunedin, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Fernando, J. W., Burden, N., Judge, M., O'Brien, L. V., Ashman, H., Paladino, A., & Kashima, Y. (2023). Profiles of an ideal society: The utopian visions of ordinary people. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 54(1), 43-60. doi: 10.1177/00220221221126419 Journal - Research Article

Back to top