Elmar A. Stuhler Bücher

This volume presents proceedings from an international conference on 'Complex Problem Solving', focusing on the demands placed on agents addressing complex issues, exemplified by climate change and its socio-economic impacts. Such creeping problems require human agents to first elevate their awareness to initiate appropriate actions. Given the individual and societal challenges in tackling such complexities, progress is expected to be gradual, involving adaptive, iterative steps rather than sudden breakthroughs. Learning through action reveals that initial problem formulations may not yield comprehensive solutions; redefining these issues can lead to more manageable transformations. To effectively respond to climate change, understanding its nature and consequences is crucial, as is recognizing humanity's cognitive, psychological, and emotional capacities to navigate uncertainty and complexity. Key topics include decision-making, the interplay of cognition and emotions, cultural influences on problem-solving, resistance to change, and economic considerations regarding resource use. Transitioning from positive to normative aspects introduces additional challenges at the intersection of science and politics, particularly in implementing environmental policies. These themes are further explored in the companion volume, which addresses methodological support for societal policy-making.

The contributions in this collection span a variety of disciplines, addressing problems and practical solutions, strategies, methodologies, and theories. Linking problem-solving processes to broader contexts requires a continuous development of problem awareness, or consciousness. This networking should extend beyond journalism to higher education and research focused on Sustainable Development. Our survival is increasingly threatened by complex issues, such as climate change, which impact ecology, economics, and society. Experts argue that reversing negative trends may be achievable through changes in human behavior. However, motivating individuals to change their behavior remains a challenge. Understanding motivation in relation to sustainability is crucial, and theories of achievement motivation—rooted in learning, association, and real-world experiences—provide a foundation for this exploration. The sustainability-imaginative stories created by students exemplify how structured rules of motivated learning can be applied in practical terms. These stories represent an innovation that can foster new motivation for sustainability. Additionally, the collection includes discussions on solving complex problems and conflicts, applying psychological theories to economic and agribusiness challenges, aiming to develop actionable programs for sustainability.