Dr. NITA Lauren
Details
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College: School of GUSS
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Department: School of GUSS
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Campus: City Campus Australia
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nita.lauren@rmit.edu.au
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ORCID: 0000-0001-5039-7067
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LinkedIn
Open to
- Collaborative projects
- Industry Projects
- Masters Research or PhD student supervision
- Teaching provision
About
Dr. Nita Lauren is a Research Fellow at ICON Science, RMIT University, holding a PhD from the University of Queensland. Specialising in behavioural science, she applies her expertise to foster shifts in behaviours and practices that have positive outcomes for nature and society. Her extensive experience includes designing, implementing, and evaluating behavioural interventions across various projects. This includes leading conservation behaviour interventions in collaboration with Zoos Victoria and developing evaluation frameworks for public health initiatives. Additionally, she has conducted systematic reviews to inform decision making and influence policy makers using robust evidence. Through partnerships with industry, government, and not-for-profit organisations, Dr. Lauren is dedicated to advancing the application of behavioural science to achieve sustainable and impactful outcomes. She is particularly committed to influencing policy to create systemic change and ensure it is informed by scientific evidence, thereby driving effective and evidence-based decision making.
Research fields
- 5205 Social and personality psychology
- 350601 Consumer behaviour
- 441004 Social change
- 441001 Applied sociology, program evaluation and social impact assessment
UN sustainable development goals
- 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
- 15 Life on Land
- 14 Life Below Water
- 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
- 13 Climate Action
Academic positions
- Research Fellow
- RMIT
- , Australia
- 18 Apr 2023 – Present
- Research Fellow
- Monash University
- Monash Sustainable Development Institute
- , Australia
- 1 Jun 2022 – 17 Apr 2023
Non-academic positions
- Monitoring and Evaluation Officer
- WorkSafe
- , Australia
- 1 Mar 2021 – 1 May 2022
Teaching interests
Dr. Nita Lauren has experience tutoring second-year undergraduate courses in social psychology, where she taught students to design, conduct, and report psychological experiments. She also tutored second-year undergraduate courses in cognitive and behavioural psychology, focusing on cognitive processes and behavioural conditioning. Currently, Dr. Lauren coordinates a Masters unit in Sustainability, Governance, and Social Change. She manages the online learning platform, organises learning and assessment materials, and designs and delivers lectures. Additionally, she tutors for the course, facilitating discussions on sustainability and social change, and mentoring students in their assessments.
Research interests
Dr. Nita Lauren’s research interests are centred on encouraging behaviour change through the application of behavioural science. She is particularly focused on motivating behavioural spillover, where engaging in one positive behaviour increases the likelihood of engaging in additional positive behaviours. Dr. Lauren also explores the role of social influence in driving behaviour change, leveraging insights from behavioural science to develop effective interventions. Additionally, she is deeply interested in strategies to encourage public engagement in democratic processes, aiming to empower individuals to influence policy and drive systemic change.
Dr. Lauren seeks to create practical strategies that can be implemented by those looking to influence behaviour change. She is keen to collaborate and partner with organisations and groups dedicated to making social change, working together to develop tools that are fit for purpose—practical and capable of creating real-world change that contributes to systemic change. Moreover, she is committed to ensuring that her research is accessible to those who wish to apply it in real-world contexts. Through her research, Dr. Lauren aims to create sustainable and impactful outcomes for both nature and society.
