Environmental Psychology
PSY 460
Environmental Psychology
Many individuals are familiar with Counseling Psychology, and many think psychology only deals with mental problems. However, the field of psychology has various disciplines that apply to every aspect of human life. One of those disciplines is Environmental Psychology. Individual’s interactions with his or her man-made or natural environment can have an impact on psychological health and behavior. Environmental psychologists research how people interact within his or her everyday environment. There are several theoretical approaches to the discipline of environmental psychology, which will be discussed further. The important contributions of environmental psychology come from research, and the relevance of research in the field is imperative to understanding the discipline as a whole.
What is Environmental Psychology?
The field of environmental psychology can best be condensed into an interdisciplinary psychological science that is concerned with the interactions of humans and his or her surrounding environment. Environmental psychologists research both the details and the overall effects of environment on human emotion and behavior (Fisher, 2007). The discipline of environmental psychology involves everything from architecture design to ecological impact. Many environmental psychologists will seek help from other scientific disciplines to aid in his or her research and work within the field of study. The overall goal of environmental psychology is to help make improvements in the human environment (Fisher, 2007).
Environmental psychology came into view during the 1960s. The need for environmental psychology stemmed from problems between humans and the architecture and ecological science (Environmental Psychology, 2004). Different factors have evolved to produce the concerns that are important to environmental psychologists today. One related aspect that environmental psychology focuses on is attention of physical characteristics of the environment in which human behavior occurs. Another aspect of environmental psychology is its relationship between other fields of environmental study. Also, environmental psychology has adopted a wide variety of research methods to conduct analysis of events. There is also a common interest in the impending concerns that have definite social relevance (Environmental Psychology, 2004). The initial interest in environmental psychology came from acknowledging the importance of physical and spatial dimensions of the environment as it related to human experience and actions (Environmental Psychology, 2004).
Environmental psychology also stresses the importance of taking into account the physical environment as it impacts human psychological processes. Contributions made by environmental psychology include the domains of spatial behavior, environmental cognition, environmental stress/restoration, environmental assessment, and environmental concern with management of resources (Fisher, 2007). Such issues of space, crowding, and improvement of work environments have been a concern for human mental health and well-being (Fisher, 2007). The differences between territorial and personal space is encountered by humans on a daily basis.
Another topic of concern is environmental stress caused by the presence of many adverse physical conditions that can be persistent, influential, and uncontrollable sources of psychological distress. Environmental stressors are actual or perceived unpleasant characteristics of the physical environment that can produce negative physiological and psychological effects on humans (Environmental Psychology, 2004). The consequences of various environmental stressors can combine or interact with each other. Humans have to make adaptive efforts to be able to cope with the stressful conditions they encounter. Coping can also become a stressor in and of itself, especially if it is a long-term effort. The effects of coping in poor environmental conditions can include fatigue, learned helplessness, physiological mobilization, and overgeneralizations (Environmental Psychology, 2004). However, just as understanding the importance environmental psychology is also being aware of the different theoretical approaches that are taken within the discipline.
Two Theoretical Approaches to Environmental Psychology
There have been many theoretical approaches for explanations in environmental psychology throughout the discipline’s history. One such approach was introduced by Roger Barker. Barker introduced the idea of behavior settings, which is now a fundamental concept in the discipline of environmental psychology (Psychologist World, 2010) . Barker is famous for documenting a day in the life of several boys and noting how expression and behavior changed in a dramatic way as their environments changed. He showed how the individual takes on differing behaviors depending upon his or her environmental surroundings. For example, a person will not behave differently at home than they will at work or at school. They also behave differently in the presence of different people. He also theorized architectural structures such as schools and churches called for a more reserved and quiet behavior. Barker’s behavior settings study was one of the first important scientific studies made in the field of environmental psychology (Psychologist World, 2010).
Another theory was approached by John Calhoun and involved the idea of personal space. The idea is that many people feel discomfort when others, especially strangers, stand close to them or speak assertively. Calhoun stated that this occurs because people need a defensible space in order to avoid stress. The inalienable space helps offer a feeling of security and comfort for the individual to feel confident in his or her actions (Psychologist World, 2010). Without adequate privacy an individual will begin to feel stressed. This type of information is important because it helps in considering designs for multi-dwelling housing, such as apartment complexes. Calhoun’s theory is proof that environmental psychology has a major impact on a person’s well-being and satisfaction in life (Psychologist World, 2010).
Both Barker and Calhoun analyzed the behaviors of individuals in various situations. However, Barker concentrated more on how individuals are affected by environments as a whole, while Calhoun researched how individual privacy was important in behavior. Both found correlative studies that made an impact on the study of environmental psychology. Both theories are still observed in research today. As with the previous mentioned theories, none of these findings would be possible without the process of research. The field of research in environmental psychology is a necessary component to further study and improvements.
Research in Environmental Psychology
Environmental psychology is a scientific field and like any scientific discipline the results depend upon consistent research. The field of environmental psychology is an ongoing search for new facts and an effort to organize those facts into a comprehensible pattern. The main types of experimental research used in environmental psychology are laboratory research and field research (Tyrer, 2011). The variable involved in the research help explain relationships like cause-and-effect. Environmental psychology tends to be based more on applied research as opposed to a research type field. Most research is done in controlled laboratory settings, but most knowledge is gained over time by learning through experiences. By using dependent and independent variables, laboratory experiments can maintain high levels of internal validity so it is easier to apply attribution of causation to individual variables (Tyrer, 2011). Field experimentation tends to have low internal validity but high levels of external validity that help calculate the relation of naturally occurring events. Approximately one-half of all research in environmental psychology is done in field experiments, however; just as many research methods are also conducted within the controlled laboratory research experiments (Tyrer, 2011).
As with many subfields of psychology, environmental psychology has been a relatively new and unrecognized field. However, the explanation of environmental psychology given demonstrates the importance of the need for this field in today’s world. Of all the different circumstances that can affect a human’s emotions and behavior, environment is one aspect many may consider last. Most focus on internal and genetic causes, but it is evident that an individual’s environment plays a major role in controlling behavior. As a field that was first researched in the 1960s, environmental psychology has grown and improved upon many theoretical approaches that were given by important psychologists of the past years. These findings were made possible by the use of research because environmental psychology is considered a scientific study. Research methods are crucial in measuring the different variables responsible for the correlation of humans and their environment.

References
Environmental Psychology, Overview. (2004). In Encyclopedia of Applied Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.credoreference.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/entry/estappliedpsyc/environmental_psychology_overview
Fisher, J.J. (2007). What is environmental psychology?. Retrieved from http://environmentpsychology.com/environmental_psychology.htm
Psychologist World. (2010). Environmental psychology. Retrieved from http://www.psychologistworld.com/issues/environmental-psychology.php
Tyrer, M. (2011). Examining the discipline of environmental psychology. Helium, Inc.. Retrieved from http://www.helium.com/items/2042222-the-meaning-of-environmental-psychology