These dragons are a compendium of psychological barriers that hinder a person’s desired actions. To date, they have mainly been gathered to help explain why a person agrees that climate change and environmental sustainability are important problems, yet does not take enough action to effectively deal with those problems. However, the dragons can also help explain why people have difficulty moving from intention to action for other desirable behaviors, such as an improved diet, more exercise, or charitable donations of time or money.
The dragons are collected by Professor Robert Gifford, of the University of Victoria. They comprise seven genera, which currently include 36 known species.
Read more about each dragon genus:
- Limited Cognition
- Ideologies
- Social Comparisons
- Sunk Costs
- Discredence
- Perceived Risks
- Limited Behavior
See articles, interviews, presentations, and a documentary about the Dragons of Inaction.
You can even diagnose your own most fearsome dragons, if you dare.
Contact Dr. Gifford here, and visit his lab website.