AN OUTLINE OF ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

JOHN DAVIS, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology
The Metropolitan State College of Denver

 

This page is part of a site for the Environmental Psychology course I teach. This outline is meant to be a braod overview of the the topics of most interest to environmental psychologists.

 

AREAS OF STUDY AND INFLUENCE

1. Perception of the environment

  • Environmental sensitivity and awareness
  • Environmental assessment and preferences
  • Cognitive Maps, Wayfinding
  • Sense of Place
  • Images & metaphors of human-nature relationships

2. Effects of the Environment on Behavior

  • The effects of environmental stimuli such as noise, temperature, and weather ON emotions, cognitive processes, performance, and social interactions
  • The effects of the social environment, crowding, personal space
  • Psychological effects of environmental disasters
  • Psychological effects of pollution and environmental toxins
  • Psychological effects of low-level background environmental destruction and habitat loss
  • Environmental design issues, architectural psychology
  • Psychology of home and psychological antecendents and effects of homelessness
  • Ways in which nature promotes positive mental health

3. Effects of Behavior on the Environment

  • Psychological sources of environmental problems
    ...including environmental degradation, environmental crises, homelessness, overconsumption, and overpopulation
  • Modifying attitudes and behavior to promote environmentally responsible and sustainable behavior

4. Approaches in Environmental Psychology

  • Behavioral approaches (Radical Behaviorism or S-R Psychology)
  • Cognitive approaches
  • Ecological Psychology (Barker's approach)
  • Phenomenological approach
  • Ecopsychology

5. Recommended Reading

  • Paul Bell, Thomas Greene, Jeffrey Fisher, & Andrew Baum. (1996). ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY. Ft Worth: Harcourt Brace. A detailed discussion of theory and research findings in environmetnal psychology.
  • Deborah Winter. (1996). ECOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY. NY: HarperCollins. A discussion of what the various areas of psychology have to contribute to "healing the split between planet and self" and dealing with environmental problems.

 

WHERE TO GO IN THIS SITE

Top of Page | Environmental Psychology home page | Course Syllabus | About Environmental Psychology and Ecopsychology | Links to other sites | John Davis's Home Page | Email John Davis | MSCD

Updated February 15, 1999