Chapter 9-Social psychology and environmental problems

Question 1

What do environmental psychologists study?

Answer 1

The interaction between humans and their physical environment.

Question 2

What is social design?

Answer 2

When a building where people live or work in is adapted to their needs and ideas to increase well-being and performance.

Question 3

What is indirect energy use?

Answer 3

The energy needed to produce, transport and dispose of goods.

Question 4

To make effective interventions we need to know (three things)

Answer 4

1. Which behaviors significantly contribute to environmental problems.
2. Which factors cause these behaviors?
3. Which interventions are likely to cause pro-environmental behaviors?

Question 5

What is the new environmental paradigm (NEP)?

Answer 5

A measure of people’s beliefs about the relations between humans and the environment.

Question 6

What are hedonic values?

Answer 6

A person’s values about pleasure and enjoying life.

Question 7

What are egoistic values?

Answer 7

A person’s values considering personal costs and benefits when making choices.

Question 8

What are altruistic values?

Answer 8

The person holds key concerns for other human beings and welfare for others.

Question 9

What are biospheric values?

Answer 9

The key concern with non-human beings and the biosphere. (E.g. earth, air pollution, unity with nature)

Question 10

What is the norm activation model?

Answer 10

Environmental behavior occurs in response to personal norms. Awareness of consequences and moral.

Question 11

What are antecedent strategies?

Answer 11

strategies that target factors that precede behavior.

Question 12

What are consequence strategies?

Answer 12

strategies aimed at changing the incentives following a behavior.

Question 13

What is a fractal?

Answer 13

A self-similar pattern of which the parts are almost the same at every scale. Most natural structures are fractal.

Question 14

What is self-serving denial?

Answer 14

Disregard, distort or minimize an environmental problem in order to justify one own’s bad behavior.

Question 15

Why are correlations between objective noise levels and noise annoyance generally low?

Answer 15

Because it’s a subjective matter that depends on three psychological factors: attitudes/interests, perceived control, and whether your interest is taken into account. If these are fulfilled it will be low.

Question 16

Which four types of values are distinguished in environmental psychology? Explain these four.

Answer 16

Egoistic values: Reflects concern with individual costs and benefits (people try to maximize own outcomes)
Hedonic values: Pleasure
Altruistic values: Reflects welfare of other human beings
Biospheric values: Reflects concern with non-human species and the biosphere; are the most solid base for environmental behaviour.

Question 17

What is meant by commitment? Which types of commitment can be distinguished?

Answer 17

Behavioural commitments. Can be made privately or publicly. Privately: Might activate a personal norm (norm activation theory)-obligated to change the behaviour.
Publically: Act accordingly to avoid punishment for not keeping their promise.

Question 18

Annoyance depends on psychological factors (3 factors, from slides)

Answer 18

Attitudes and interests: Positive attitude towards the sugar factory (because you are employed there or something)
Perceived control: If you feel like you can affect it, your annoyance levels will be lower.
Is your interest was taken into account: If you think Schiphol are doing everything they can to make it better for you as a person who lives close by, the levels will be lower.

Question 19

Biophilia hypothesis:

Answer 19

Evolutionary we are much more adapted to nature.
People love nature
Nature promotes our well-being, reduces stress
Genetic

Question 20

Attention-restoration theory:

Answer 20

Cognitive reasoning, but based on an evolutionary basis.
Natural stimuli need less directed attention than urban environments
Less cognitive effort
Recovery from fatigue

Question 21

What is the norm-activation model?

Answer 21

Pro-environmental behaviour is more likely when people feel morally obliged to act pro-environmentally.

Question 22

Feelings of moral obligation are strong when:

Answer 22

problem awareness: Are you aware that it is a problem? Aware of your own consequences?
outcome efficacy: Do you think you can do something about it?

Question 23

What does it mean to ‘push’ in environmental behavioural change?

Answer 23

Push: make environmentally harmful options less attractive

Question 24

What does it mean to ‘pull’ in environmental behavioural change?

Answer 24

Pull: increase attractiveness of pro-environmental actions