Week 10: Environmental Psychology (Chapter 13)

Question 1

Environmental Psychology

Answer 1

The interaction of people with their environment (both natural and built).

Question 2

Conservation Psychology

Answer 2

Using psychological principles to promote preservation and conservation of natural resources.

Question 3

Ecopsychology

Answer 3

The study of how interaction with nature offers therapeutic benefits.

Question 4

Architectural Psychology

Answer 4

Understanding the relation between buildings and thinking, emotion, and behaviour.

Question 5

Tragedy of the Commons

Answer 5

Each individual is locked into a system that compels them to increase their use of resources without limit, in a world that is unlimited.

• A small choice that benefits us in the short-term will lead to long-term consequences if everyone has that mentality.

Question 6

Social Dilemmas

Answer 6

• Situations where we underestimate the impact of our individual actions on the wellbeing of the whole.

Question 7

Social Traps

Answer 7

A type of social dilemma where short-term pleasure (or convenience) contributes to long-term pain or loss.

• Ex. Use of pesticides has short-term benefits (making your lawn green) and long-term consequences (affects the ecosystem as a whole).

Question 8

How to Create an Intervention to Promote Pro-Environmental Behaviour

Answer 8

1. Choose a behaviour that will improve the quality of the environment.
2. Identify the factors underlying the chosen behaviour.
3. Design + apply an intervention to change the behaviour.
4. Evaluate the success of the intervention on the behaviour and on the environment.

Question 9

Social Design

Answer 9

Buildings, indoor spaces, and outdoor spaces deigned with the people using the space in mind.

• The health and wellbeing, safety and privacy, and social interaction/collaboration of users are prioritized.

True social design involves the end users as part of the design and planning process.

Question 10

Goals of Social Design

Answer 10

• Created physical settings that match the needs and activities of their occupants.
• Satisfy building users.
• Change behaviour.
• Enhance uer control.
• Facilitate social support.
• Employ “imageability”.