Lecture 1 - Introduction

Question 1

What is environmental Psychology? Gifford (2007) view

Answer 1

The study of transactions between individuals and their physical settings

• How do we engage with the physal environment around us? The transactions are not seperate entities - individual impacts environment and the environment impacts the individual

Question 2

What is environmental Psychology? Bell et al., (2005) view

Answer 2

The study of the Molar relationships between behaviour and experience and the built and natural environment

• molar relationships - a relationship over time

Question 3

What is environmental psychology?

Answer 3

Application of psychological theory and methods to human-environment interactions.

Question 4

Why is environmental psychology different when most fields of psychology involve interactions with the environment?

Answer 4

• Problem-over-theory orientation: The explicit focus is on environmental issues or human-environment interactions. This relationship is central to what people are studying. Not just an external factor we are looking at but the core focus.
• Methodological Perspective: Need to go among lab research. They study behaviour in more naturalistic environments

Question 5

What Environment are we looking at in evironmental psychology?

Answer 5

• (socio)physical settings
  1. built environment
  2. natural environment
  3. social environment

Focusing on behviour and experience of individuals and small groups

Not about the universal Ps, interested in a particular role or context

Question 6

What are the two research areas of environmental psychology?

Answer 6

The environment as context for behaviour
* how do we interact with the environment around us and how does the environment impact our attitudes, behaviour, wellbeing
* Ecological psychology

Impact of human behviour on the environment
* this considers sustainability. how people can change their behaviour in order to address the problem
* conservation psychology

Question 7

Kurt Lewin

Answer 7

• The founder of modern experimental social psychology (and environmental psychology)
• carried out research on group dynamics and their inter-group relationships
• committed to research applied to real world issues
• known for Field theory and Action Research

Question 8

Field theory (Lewin)

Answer 8

• behaviour is a function of the person and the environment
• need to look at all the factors (behaviour, person, environment - B=f (P,E)
• idea positied in 1930/40’s where behaviourism dominated

Question 9

Lewin’s views on what he wanted psychology to be and do?

Answer 9

• He wanted psychology to be more scientific
• He argued that there is a tradeoff that was difficult to navigate (precise lab study Vs naturalistic environment)
• If you are studying behaviour in the wider environment, you can only discuss probabilistic influences because it becomes chaotic - all the confounds

Need to find a balance so that it is scientific but also related to the real world

Question 10

Action Research (Lewin)

Answer 10

This is more of a methodological perspective
* this is a research strategy of testing theories in the field
* in order to find out things, you need to trial interventions involving - action, observing and reflecting (iterative process). This is known as the action research cycle

Question 11

Roger Garlock Barker (1903-1990)

Barker = Behaviour

Answer 11

• First to use the term ‘ecological psychology’
• most famous for his midwest psychological field station study:
  ○ He had a small city in Kansas (750 Ps). Many research assistants would observe what was going on. Looking at what people do on a day to day basis and certain behaviour. He came up with the idea of behaviour settings

Question 12

What is behavioural settings (Roger Garlock Barker)

Answer 12

• this is the notion that different settings evoke different behaviour (shop, school, restaurant etc.)
• in order to understand someones behaviour, you need to know the setting the behaviour is taking place in.
• by knowing a setting you can predict what is going to happen (scripts or a sequence of actions in a scene)
• molar vs molecular behaviour

Question 13

Behaviour setting survey

Answer 13

This was a survey where you looked at what people did in certain settings. Wanted to know questions like:
* how many people were using it?
* how often did people use it?

This involved detailed observations in different settings
Behavior settings are theorized entities that help explain the relationship between individuals and the environment - particularly the social environment

Question 14

Place Specificity

Answer 14

Roger Garlock Barker identified 884 places with distinct behaviour episodes or ‘streams’ (variation is across places not individuals

Question 15

Situationism

Answer 15

(Roger Garock Barker) Situationism is when behaviour is radically situated - you can’t understand or predict behaviour without knowing situation or context

Question 16

Why has environmental psychology only become a distinct and recognizable research field in 1960s/1970s?

Answer 16

• social issues - emerging awareness of real-life environmental issues
• scientific issues - dissatisfaction with psychology as a behavioural science

Also, Apollo 8 photo, Rachel Carson and the publish of silent spring, The cub of Rome and their limits to growth publication

Question 17

Harold Proshansky views on social vs environmental psychology

Answer 17

Was a social psychologist but he did not like the route social psychology was going down, so he turned to environmental psychology.
* argued that social psychology and environmental psychology were completely different due to social psychology having lab based studies which have little impacts on environmental psychology due to no application or real world value
* Altman argued that we can still use concepts and theories from social psychology for environmental psychology

Question 18

Place identity

Answer 18

Harold Proshansky explained this:
* where you are born can affect your identity

Question 19

What is climate change?

Answer 19

a large-scale, long-term shift in the planet’s weather patterns and average temperatures
policy to avoid ‘dangerous’ climate change 2*C temp increase

Question 20

What is pro environmental behaviour?

Answer 20

Stern, 2000: The extent to which a behaviour changes the availability of materials or energy from the environment or alters the structure and dynamics of ecosystems or the biosphere
Behaviours that harm the environment as LITTLE as possible

Question 21

What is environmental behaviour?

Answer 21

Actions defined by impact on environment - energy use, recycling, water use, transport
It’s a separate category of behaviour
It’s defined by impact on environment
From a consumer perspective: consumption of energy such was water, heating, cooking, lighting

Question 22

What is consumption (Household Energy Use)

Answer 22

The total personal consumption expenditure, or the purchase of goods & services out of income (economic def)

Question 23

How do you measure energy intensity?

Answer 23

Useful way of standardizing consumption in terms of energy use?
Energy requirements of a product (MJ)
Price of a product (£)

= MJ per £

Question 24

What are the two types of energy saving behaviours?

Answer 24

Energy efficiency: Buying more energy efficient equipment - happens once e.g. House insolation, energy efficient heating (Ppl are more likely to engage in these behaviours)
Curtailment behaviours: Reduce use of equipment/ change behaviours e.g., altering food pattern, hire a house keeper

Question 25

What is the avoid shift improve framework? (Dalkmann & Brannigan, 2007)

Answer 25

approach serves as a way to structure policy measures to
reduce the environmental impact of transport and thereby
improve the quality of life in cities
Shift to more energy efficient transport

Question 26

What did Steg find about household energy use?

Answer 26

Social Norms and Perceptions: Steg found that social norms play a significant role in shaping household energy use
People tend to adjust their behavior to match what they perceive as socially acceptable energy consumption levels within their social circles.

Financial considerations, such as the perceived cost-effectiveness of energy-saving investments, influence household energy use

Providing households with feedback on their energy use can be an effective tool in promoting energy conservation

Utilities: energy consumption is high for recreation and going out for meals

Question 27

What is intent oriented behaviour?

Answer 27

Behaviours defined by its motivation e.g., recycling
Behaviours you think are good & are willing to do for the environment

Question 28

What is impact oriented environmental behaviour?

Answer 28

Behaviour defined by its impact
In terms of reduction in energy use, water consumption or waste production

Question 29

What is the difference between sustainable behaviour and sustainable lifestyle?

Answer 29

Sustainable behaviour: often refers to individuals actions that are beneficial for the environment e.g., recycling
Sustainable lifestyle: refers to pattern of behaviour/ consumption in line with environmental values & attitudes - with minimal impact on the environment e.g., Plant based diet

Question 30

What is the issue with energy?

Answer 30

The problem is not energy itself but its generated by unsustainable polluting energy sources
Petrol: fossil fuel
Gas: fossil fuel
Electricity: mostly fossil fuel
The burning of fossil fuels leads to air pollution and climate change
Behaviours that have high impact (high in energy saving) may have less acceptability e.g., washing dishes in cold water