User:Jenny O/The Environment

"Ecological issues of people's relationship to their environment, both natural and human-made, have assumed critical importance to our quality of life, and even the survival capacity of humanity"

— Oskamp & Schultz, 1998, p.227

Before embarking on this topic I had a very narrow view of environmental psychology. I found the issues regarding built environments and environmental design intensely interesting.

Oskamp and Schultz provide a simple definition of environmental psychology as the study of:

"the interactions and relations between people and their environments"

This includes built and natural environments.

Some important aspects of these environments include:

• Density – the number of people per unit area

• Crowding – subjective negative experiences relating to density. This is a form of environmental stress. Perceived control decreases the feeling of crowding.

• Environmental stress - daily hassles or frustrations, noise, heat.

• Environmental risk - natural disasters, disease, pollution, food contamination, and terrorism.

• Environmental design - assessing and planning artificial designs and encompasses architectural psychology, consumer psychology, permaculture (permanent culture) and wayfinding (cognitive mapping of environments)

The built environment plays a significant role in the affect, behaviour and cognitions of human beings (e.g., the effect of lighting on concentration; sounds and levels of stress; colours and emotions; space and privacy, and social behaviour in public places etc.) However, I also expect there are individual differences in the significance for some. For example, I am strongly attached to, and influenced by, my built and natural environments while others I know do not necessarily share the same feelings about their space or environment.

Sundstrom, Bell, Busby and Asmus (1996) (see Lecture 9 Readings) examine a range of psychological factors relating to built environments including: residential preference and satisfaction, housing design features, residential crowding, and place attachment. They also consider communal spaces such as workplaces, hospitals, schools, and prisons. It is well know in health that patients experience ICU-Syndrome, a delirium-like state or psychological dysfunction resulting (in part) from environmental aspects of time spent in the Intensive Care Unit (e.g., noise, lighting, movement, equipment, and being disconnected from the outside world).

Sundstrom et al. also consider extreme living conditions and how people adapt in these situations (e.g., Outer space, Inuit settlements in North Alaska, and other polar regions). I thought it was interesting that environments such as detention centres and refugee camps have not been considered in the readings – maybe this is a more recent phenomenon, or are they equivalent to prisons?

Understandably windows and views are a very important part of our dwellings and workplaces. However, my husband told me about a recent experience of employing new graduates (in conditions of job oversupply). One of the most important criteria in considering the job was whether they would be given an office with a window rather than an internal workspace (A question the graduate would all ask very 'diplomatically' at interview). I was astonished to think that a new graduate had the audacity to ask such a question in a job interview, but maybe it has become a valid concern in maintaining psychological well-being when managing the stressful transition to corporate life!

Generally, people have a great affinity with natural environments. Some explain this in evolutionary terms as a genetic predisposition toward nature (e.g., the Bipohilia Hypothesis). The influence of nature on the human psyche is supported by observations such as our preference for natural rather than abstract artwork, our desire for dwellings with views of nature, and children’s affinity with animals in stories and characterisations. It is interesting that many social and moral lessons have been depicted through anthropomorphism (e.g., Aesop’s Fables, Alice in Wonderland, The Wind in the Willows, and Winnie-the-Pooh).

Nature and experiences with nature provide many positive effects. Research has been conducted in the effects of animals in human therapy (e.g., animal assisted therapy); natural scenes (e.g., in-patient hospital recovery – also see ICU-Syndrome); adventure therapy (e.g., outdoor education), and green exercise. The green prescription, or encouraging people to engage with nature to prevent and ameliorate physical and psychological dyfunction is being encouraged.

Human behaviour is having a devastating effect on the natural environment, and by association on the human psyche. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS, 2007), Australia’s environmental concerns relate to:

• Population and urban trends (population growth & distribution, households, economic growth & consumption)
• Human activities (energy & waste)
• Atmosphere (greenhouse gases, climate change, ozone & air quality)
• Water (consumption, conservation & management, and marine)
• Landscape (land, forests & biodiversity)

Only yesterday, against the backdrop of the current world financial frenzy, The Guardian newspaper reports: World is facing a natural resources crisis worse than the financial crunch. The article claims that humans are using 30% more resources than is sustainable, and two planets will be needed by 2030 to sustain our life-styles if we continue our current rate of consumption. Australia is apparently ranked as the fifth most destructive in the world.

Behavioural change is necessary to preserve resources and the natural environment. Attitudes do not manifest as behaviours. Although environmental awareness or a positive attitude toward the environment is helpful, strong pro-conservational norms (personal and societal), understanding, and commitment are needed to support behavioural changes. Implementing antecedent and consequent strategies can assist in effecting behavioural change:

Antecedent strategies:

• Information campaigns e.g., government and other organizations: Clean-up Australia Day, Recycle Michael ad campaign. Best when used in the long term (cumulative effect)
• Prompts. These are most effective when: practical and easy to use, and specific prompts are made (polite, trouble-free, close to point of response) e.g., Please place your rubbish in the bin provided.
• Modelling or demonstrating desired behaviour.

Consequent strategies:

• Reinforcement (can be short-lived) e.g., monetary incentives: tokens or coupons for use of public transport, rewards for the use of energy saving devices – solar hot water system or water tank rebates.
• Punishment e.g., on-the-spot fines for littering, fines for industrial environmental pollution or waste, monetary disincentives (increasing the cost of petrol).
• Feedback or providing information regarding the environmental effects or consequences of altered behaviours e.g electrical star ratings or water usage ratings on whitegoods, energy efficiency ratings for houses, mechanised feedback on households energy usage.

Other strategies include: Self-monitoring, fostering personal connections with nature and the environment, lobbying governments, supporting environmental organizations or groups.

Developing a sustainable future for the world is one step toward protecting the environment (Oskamp & Schultz, 1998).

The IPAT formula can be used to assess the impacts of several variables influencing sustainability:

I = P x A x T Where: I = Impact, P = Population, A = Amount of consumption per person (affluence), T = Technologies supporting affluence

The impact of future growth and economic development can be measured by setting the IPAT to a value of one as a baseline measure, and recalculating impact levels at regular intervals. Of several sustainability models assessed against this formula, a slow growth model was the most feasible. Slow growth emphasises population control and slowed economic growth, and would require more efficient technology and energy consumption. However, such changes are only possible with increased awareness, education, strong pro-conservational norms, commitment, and most saliently practising pro-environmental behaviours.