32 Making Connections (IntroPSYC and SDG 7): Affordable and Clean Energy

By Meghan E. Norris and Riley J.T. Bonar

This unit explores topics related to Sensation and Perception. Sensation is the physical processing of stimuli by our sensory organs, and perception is the psychological process of interpreting that information.

The UN Sustainable Development Goal 7 is focused on Affordable and Clean Energy. Psychology has an important role to play here, and it connects with content on Sensation and Perception! Sources of energy can impact the environment and those in it, including humans and non-human animals. For example, blue light can negatively impact sleep (e.g., Chellappa, Steiner, Oelhafen, Lang, Götz, T., Krebs, & Cajochen, 2013). The story doesn’t end there, though. Although blue light from devices can have negative impacts on sleep, in some cases, it can improve cognitive performance, increase alertness, and decrease reaction time (Silvani, Weder, & Perret, 2022). The questions of who, what, where, why, when, and how are critical. Notice that these details pertaining to who, what, where, why, when, and how are often not included in headlines. These are questions that psychological scientists regularly ask in their research. If details on who, what, where, why, when, and how are missing from a headline or source of media, this is a great cue to dig in further.

You can learn more about SDG 7 here: Goal 7: Energy – United Nations Sustainable Development

As you work to make connections between psychological science (and science more broadly!), remember that the details matter. We have a really incredibly opportunity to innovate clean and accessible energy systems that benefit our planet. Taking responsibility and accountability for understanding how they impact individuals will help us create sustainable innovations.

Making connections between PSYC100 content on sensation, perception, vision and sleep, in this optional video, Dr. Dragana Rogulja, Associate Professor of Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School talks about the impact of artificial light on the health of humans and non-human animals.

The impact of energy sources on environments and those living in them is just one way the science of sensation and perception can be applied. To learn more about how content related to sensation and perception comes to life through research in the Department of Psychology at Queen’s University, check out the work of Dr. Randy Flanagan. A primary aim of his research is to understand the cognitive and computational processes underlying movement control and learning. Specifically, his lab uses virtual reality and other tools to study eye-hand coordination, object manipulation, sensory-motor adaptation, and links between action and perception

Applying sensation and perception to clinical work, Dr. Salomons’ work as a Clinical Psychologist in the Department of Psychology at Queen’s University aims to understand how the brain and body interact to create the experience of pain, and why some people might be prone to develop pain while others are relatively resilient. He is especially interested in the biological mechanisms that underlie cognitive and affective responses to pain and how this knowledge might help us treat pain.

References:

Chellappa, S. L., Steiner, R., Oelhafen, P., Lang, D., Götz, T., Krebs, J., & Cajochen, C. (2013). Acute exposure to evening blue-enriched light impacts on human sleep. Journal of Sleep Research, 22(5), 573–580. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23509952/

United Nations. (n.d.). Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/energy/

Rogulja, D. (2015). The dark side of light. TEDxYouth@BeaconStreet [Video]. TEDx Talks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0q3veMwv6A

Silvani, M. I., Werder, R., & Perret, C. (2022). The influence of blue light on sleep, performance and wellbeing in young adults: A systematic review. Frontiers in Physiology, 13, 943108.

How to cite this using APA Style:

Norris, M. E., & Bonar, R. J. T. (2026). Making connections (IntroPSYC and SDG 7): Affordable and clean energy. In PSYC 100: Principles of psychology. eCampusOntario. https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/testbookje/chapter/making-connections-intropsyc-and-sdg-7-affordable-and-clean-energy/