Environments Flashcards
What is prosocial behavior?
Prosocial behavior is a general term that encompasses actions that increase another person’s well-being, including cooperation, helping, and sharing. It doesn’t necessarily have to be altruistic.
How can prosocial behavior evolve if humans have “selfish genes”?
Evolutionary theory suggests prosocial behavior can develop through:
○ Kin altruism: Helping relatives to pass on shared genes.
○ Reciprocal altruism: Helping others with the expectation of future help in return.
○ Competitive altruism: Helping to enhance reputation and social standing.
What are social dilemmas?
Social dilemmas occur when there’s a conflict between immediate personal benefit and collective well-being. Cooperation is ideal for the group, but individuals might be tempted to cheat for potential advantage. However, widespread cheating leads to negative consequences for everyone
What are the two types of social dilemmas? Give examples of each.
○ Common Resource Dilemmas: Involve a shared resource, where individuals must decide how much to take. Examples: Overfishing, overgrazing, pollution.
○ Public Goods Dilemmas: Involve contributing to create or maintain a shared good. Examples: Public radio, government funding, bridges.
What factors influence the resolution of social dilemmas?
Several factors impact successful cooperation in social dilemmas:
○ Features of the Dilemma: Ethical vs. business framing, certainty of outcomes, repeated interactions.
○ Features of the Situation: Communication, group size, social norms, in-group/out-group dynamics.
○ Building Trust and Generosity: Establishing trust and promoting a sense of generosity encourages cooperation
What is “intuitive prosociality”? Provide evidence.
Intuitive prosociality suggests prosocial behavior can be automatic or intuitive, not solely driven by reflection or self-control. Evidence includes:
○ Heroic Acts: Individuals often act instinctively in emergencies, without time for deliberation.
○ Public Goods Game with Time Constraints: Faster decisions in public goods games are associated with higher cooperation, suggesting intuitive responses are more prosocial.
○ Neuroscience: Brain regions associated with reward (ventral striatum) are activated during prosocial acts.
How does early development support the idea of prosociality?
Prosocial behavior appears early in childhood, even before complex cognitive control develops:
○ Preference for prosocial individuals.
○ Helping without prompting.
○ Offering helpful information.
What is the role of emotions in prosocial behavior?
Positive emotions can promote prosocial behavior:
○ Helping creates feelings of pleasure.
○ Awe, gratitude, and elevation inspire acts of kindness.
What is the Biophilia Hypothesis? What is some evidence that supports it?
E.O. Wilson’s Biophilia Hypothesis proposes humans have an innate need to connect with other living things and nature. Supportive evidence:
○ Office workers without windows seek out plants and nature pictures.
○ Natural environments have restorative effects on attention and reduce stress.
How does nature impact happiness?
Studies consistently show nature’s positive influence on happiness:
○ Living near greenspace: Correlates with higher well-being in large-scale studies.
○ Moments in nature: Experience sampling studies using GPS tracking reveal mood boosts during time spent in nature.
○ Short-term exposure: Brief experiments involving walks or even viewing nature images show increases in positive emotions
What are the benefits of nature beyond happiness?
Nature offers numerous advantages beyond mood:
○ Reduced cognitive fatigue
○ Enhanced creativity
○ Pain reduction and faster recovery times
○ Improved cardiovascular health
○ Lower mortality rates
How does nature benefit communities?
Nature fosters positive community dynamics:
○ Reduced aggression and crime rates
○ Increased social interaction
○ Enhanced cooperation and sustainable behaviors
What is “nature relatedness” and what are its correlates?
Nature Relatedness” refers to an individual’s emotional, cognitive, and physical connection with nature. Correlates include:
○ Time spent in nature
○ Engagement with environmental organizations
○ Pro-environmental attitudes
○ Higher levels of well-being and prosociality
How can nature exposure be used as a positive psychology intervention?
Interventions like mindful walks in nature, “30x30” challenges, and nature photography programs have shown to increase nature relatedness, well-being, and pro-environmental behaviors.
What considerations should be taken when studying the effects of nature?
○ Defining “nature” can be ambiguous.
○ Comparisons between natural and built environments might not be perfectly matched.
○ Limited randomized controlled trials exist, especially for long-term effects.
○ Publication bias may favor positive findings about nature
What are positive aspects of built environments?
While environmental health research often focuses on negative aspects of built environments, a positive approach emphasizes creating optimal spaces:
○ Balancing individual needs, space, and tasks: For example, lighting design should consider personal control, time of day, and color temperature.
○ Cost-effectiveness, flexibility, and natural light: Design should be practical while maximizing natural light.
○ Balancing concentration and social interaction: Open office plans should consider impacts on focus, mood, and creativity.
What are key considerations for positive virtual environments?
The impact of virtual environments on well-being is complex. Applying social psychology principles can guide design:
○ Promoting active social engagement over social comparison: Encourage genuine connections rather than fostering competition or envy.
○ Facilitating new connections while respecting offline life: Balance virtual and real-world interactions.
○ Considering both costs and benefits: Recognize the potential downsides of technology while harnessing its positive applications.
What is biophilic design? What are its potential benefits?
Biophilic design integrates natural elements and principles into built environments, using:
○ Natural materials
○ Forms and representations inspired by nature
○ Fractal geometry (self-similarity at different scales)
○ Prospect and refuge (spaces with views and areas for retreat)
● Biophilic design aims to enhance well-being and create more pleasant and engaging spaces.
