PSY511 Midterm Updated Highlighted Handouts 2024

Lesson no. Lesson Title. Page no. Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Theories in Environmental Psychology Lesson 4 Arousal theories Lesson 5 Stimulus Load, Behavioral Constraint, and Adaptative Level theories Lesson 6 Ecological theories and comparison of theories Lesson 7 The present framework and future directions in Environmental Psychology (I) Lesson 8 The present framework of Environmental Psychology (II) Lesson 9 Elementary Psychophysics/Perception and its Cognitive Bases Lesson Perception and its Cognitive Bases/Theories of Environmental Perception Lesson Learning Theory/Probabilistic Functionalism and Environmental Cognition Lesson Responses to novel environments and environmental cognition

Lesson Characteristics of cognitive maps

Lesson Environmental evaluation

Lesson Environmental Evaluation (Affective Bases of Environmental Evaluation) Lesson Environmental Attitudes

Lesson Environmental Attitude Formation

Lesson Social Bases of Attitudes Lesson 1

The origins of environmental psychology can be traced back to the 1960s when researchers from various disciplines such as architecture, sociology, and psychology began to examine how the environment influences human behavior, cognition, and wellbeing (Steg, van den Berg, & de Groot, 2012). Initially, the focus was on the design and evaluation of built environments, such as homes, offices, schools, and hospitals. This was also known as architectural psychology or human factors (Clayton & Saunders, 2012). Later, the field expanded to include the natural environment, such as parks, forests, and wildlife. This was also called conservation or green psychology (Clayton & Saunders, 2012). Environmental psychology is a diverse and interdisciplinary field that addresses various topics, such as environmental perception, attitudes, and values, environmental behavior and decision-making, environmental stress and coping, environmental restoration and well-being, and environmental education and communication (Steg et al., 2012). Different environments can arouse different feelings in human beings. Our mental concepts and associations with a particular environmental type i.e., our perceptions about different surroundings also affect our physiology, feelings, and reactions. Any change in the environment also brings about a shift in our thinking styles and adaptive behaviors. Let's consider the following two situations:

1. Suppose you are sitting in your comfortable room with a cup of coffee while working on your laptop. Automatically you will feel pleasant and more motivated to involve yourself in creative tasks.
2. Now imagine that due to some emergency, you have to work on your laptop during a traffic jam while on public transport. You will feel unpleasant, your creative abilities will probably decline and you will think about getting rid of the task as soon as possible.

The first situation will perhaps give rise to feelings such as contentment, peace, joy, and relief. You will be able to think of multiple solutions to a single problem and develop a broadened understanding of the different demands that the environment presents. The second situation will probably give rise to feelings such as aggression, irritability, urgency, and dissatisfaction. It might even make you feel claustrophobic! In conclusion, it is fair to say that our environment and its different aspects can generate different feelings in us and ultimately different behavioral responses. With technology and rapid industrialization, the environment is becoming increasingly complex. The dangers of acid rain, the unreliability of nuclear power plants, and the difficulties in handling and disposing of toxic chemicals are being discussed. Additionally, the pace of suburban sprawl and urban decay is speeding up. Chemicals such as dioxin, formaldehyde, PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl), / and sulfur dioxide, once found only in the laboratories are becoming household words. Human beings are using and abusing the environment openly.

Many people are working hard to fix the environment, but there are still a lot of problems. Scientists, engineers, political and spiritual leaders, and the general public care more about the environment now, but they don't always have the money, skills, or tools to do something about it.

The Environmental Debate There is a debate regarding the environment between two groups of people. The first group has a pessimistic approach and the second group has an optimistic approach. Let's look at both:

•  The Pessimists:

Some people say that the environment is so damaged that it will not be livable by the year 2100. They are angry about how many animals and plants have died in the last 100 years, how much land has become dry and useless, how many trees have been cut down, and how much water has been polluted by acid rain. They think that the environment is being harmed by the rich and the poor fighting over natural resources. They say that the rich take too much and the poor want to keep what they have, and this makes the environment suffer and lose.

•  The Optimists:

Some people confidently highlight the remarkable achievements that have been made in improving human conditions and well-being in the fields of agriculture, medicine, and design technology. They believe that human creativity and innovation can overcome any challenge. They argue that there is sufficient energy, but the methods of obtaining it must be improved. There is a balanced population, but the distribution of people needs to be adjusted. There is manageable waste, but the systems of transporting and storing it need to be refined. They have a positive outlook on the future of the environment.

 Has the debate been resolved?

The debate on the environmental crisis remains unresolved, as different perspectives and solutions are proposed. Technology may offer some relief to the strain that human activities impose on the earth's resources, or human behavior may undergo significant changes to reverse the environmental damage. The intensity of the debate is increasing, as evidenced by the United Nations Earth Summit held in June 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, which raised global awareness of the situation. Along with this growing concern, there has been a renewed interest in the impact of the environment on human functioning. Various biological, psychological, and social problems have been predicted due to environmental degradation and population growth. Research is accumulating on the physiological, psychological, and behavioral effects of environmental factors such as noise, air pollution, temperature, barometric pressure, and building design. Both shortterm and long-term effects are being examined. Moreover, some studies suggest that exposure to certain environmental conditions can have delayed negative consequences that persist even after the exposure has ceased. These are also being investigated with more attention. Likewise, the possibility of changing values, attitudes, and behavior toward the environment is being explored.

Definition of Environmental Psychology To define Environmental Psychology, first, we need to understand the words