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History of Environmental Psychology
Environmental psychology is concerned with the interaction of people with their built and
natural environments. Psychophysicists in the late 19th century extensively explored the notion
that factors in the environment can influence people, and behaviorists, human factors scholars,
and ergonomics researchers advanced the notion in the 20th century. The first documented use of
the term “environmental psychology” is dated to a 1964 paper, “Environmental Psychology and
Architectural Planning,” presented by psychologist William H. Ittelson at an American Hospital
Association Conference on Hospital Planning in New York. Ittelson and others were interested
in whether aspects of hospital design (e.g., private rooms vs. wards, bright vs. subdued wall
colors, seating that forced facing others across tables vs. seating against walls that allowed
distancing from others) could impact therapeutic outcomes in psychiatric and medical hospitals.
Thus, the first books on environmental psychology (Ittelson, Proshansky, and Rivlin’s 1970
Environmental Psychology and Ittelson, Proshansky, Rivlin, and Winkel’s 1974 An Introduction
to Environmental Psychology) emphasized the built environment and potential beneficial
outcomes of alternative designs. Other social scientists explored similar concepts, such as
sociologist John Zeisel in his 1975 Sociology and Architectural Design. At the same time, other
psychologists studied whether aspects of an entire community could make a difference in
behavior (e.g., Roger Barker’s 1968 Ecological Psychology: Concepts and Methods for Studying
the Environment of Human Behavior), and still others examined the interplay between the built
environment and social interaction (e.g., Robert Sommer’s 1969 Personal Space and 1972
Design Awareness; Irwin Altman’s 1975 The Environment and Social Behavior).
In 1970 the first Earth Day emphasized human interaction with the natural environment
and how some practices can damage that environment and alternative practices can preserve it.
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Spawned by alarming evidence of damage to the natural environment (e.g., Rachel Carson’s
1962 Silent Spring) and earlier naturalists’ (e.g., John Muir, Aldo Leopold) calls for an ethic of
preservation, the environmental movement gained momentum and environmental psychology
embraced and incorporated components of it. Two of the early mergers of the built and natural
emphases were represented by Kenneth Craik and Erwin Zube’s 1976 Perceiving Environmental
Quality, and by Paul Bell, Jeffrey Fisher, and Ross Loomis’s 1978 Environmental Psychology.
Today, a course in environmental psychology can incorporate material that is applicable
to either the built or natural environment, or to both. Other labels have also emerged that
instructors might incorporate in the course. Barker’s (e.g., 1968, 1990) ecological psychology
involves a special set of principles (e.g., the behavior setting, staffing) and methods (e.g., field
observation) to study how communities or aspects of communities influence social interaction
and outcomes. Conservation psychology is a movement that emphasizes the use of
psychological principles to encourage conservation and preservation of natural resources (see
http://www.conservationpsychology.org). Ecopsychology is a movement that emphasizes
therapeutic benefits of interacting with nature (see http://www.ecopsychology.org).
References
Altman, I. (1975). The environment and social behavior. Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Bell, P. A., Fisher, J. D., & Loomis, R. J. (1978). Environmental psychology. Philadelphia: W.B.
Saunders.
Carson, R. (1962). Silent spring. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Craik, K. H., & Zube, E. H. (1976). Perceiving environmental quality: Research and
applications. New York: Plenum.
Ittelson, W. H. (1964). Environmental psychology and architectural planning. Paper presented
at the American Hospital Association Conference on Hospital Planning, New York.
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Ittelson, W. H., Proshansky, H. M., Rivlin, L. G., & Winkel, G. H. (1974). An introduction to
environmental psychology. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Proshansky, H. M., Ittelson, W. H., & Rivlin, L. G., (Eds.) (1970). Environmental psychology:
Man and his physical setting. New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston.
Sommer, R. (1969). Personal space. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Sommer, R. (1972). Design awareness. San Francisco: Rinehart Press.
Zeisel, J. (1975). Sociology and architectural design. Social Science Frontiers (6). New York:
Russell Sage Foundation.
Research Methods in Environmental Psychology
Experiments, Surveys, Field Research, and Archival/Available Data
The scientific method is at the heart of environmental psychology. Teaching research
methods early in the course will lay the groundwork for future discussions about research
studies. A useful exercise is to present students with one research question on a handout or
PowerPoint slide. I (P. Romano) ask them to work in groups of 2-4 students and write on a piece
of paper how they would answer that research question through each of the research methods.
This assignment gives students the opportunity to engage in creative thinking about how to apply
each method. I then have them discuss their ideas with the rest of the class. Example research
questions might be:
You are interested in evaluating whether high-school students who sit in a classroom
with desks arranged in a horseshoe design make higher grades in that course than
students taking the same course but with desks arranged in the traditional row pattern.
Entry to popular trails in parks or to popular traveling exhibits at museums is often
regulated to reduce crowding, improve safety, protect the resource, and enhance
enjoyment of the visitors. You have been requested by management to establish
regulations for a particular trail or exhibit. What kind of data would you want before
establishing such regulations, and how would you go about evaluating the pros and cons
of the regulations?
A campus eating area relies on students to clean off the table after a meal, but many
tables do not get cleaned well and paper/plastic containers get left behind and ketchup is
sometimes left smeared on a table. What interventions could you implement to motivate
people to keep the area cleaner?
The goal of the exercise is for students to see how alternative methods (e.g., observation,
experimentation, quasi-experimental designs, interviews) might be advantageous or
disadvantageous in addressing different kinds of environmental questions.
ABAB Design
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Quasi-experimental designs do not control for all extraneous variables but manipulate a
specific factor in a field setting. Observing the setting for a while and then changing something
in it (e.g., adding a “Wet Paint” sign, moving a bench a short distance) and observing again is an
example of an AB design, but there are many variables besides the B factor (i.e., whatever was
changed) that could account for the differences (e.g., time of day of the observations, types of
people at different times, different temperatures or lighting). A researcher can gain more
confidence that the B factor makes a difference by, after the change to B, switching back to the A
condition and then switching again to the B condition, in an ABAB design. The observer records
behavior in each condition for a fixed amount of time or for a fixed number of people.
Implementing an ABAB design is easy as part of a class demonstration or homework
assignment. If the method is to observe each condition for a fixed amount of time, the instructor
should state that simply tallying numbers of people who do something is not as valuable as
looking at the percentage of people who do something, because absolute numbers can vary
across time. One activity might be how many people use a left or right door in a double-door
entry or exit. The B condition can be a sign on one door (e.g., “Use Other Door” or “Wet
Paint”). Another activity might involve observations of participants’ choices to pick up litter.
The instructor or an assistant places a certain number of pieces of litter in an area where people
must see it and where a trash can is nearby. In the A condition students simply observe. In the B
condition, one of the students acts as a model and picks up and disposes a piece of trash. There
could also be a C condition where two or three models pick up the trash.
Visual Communication: Soft ideas, soft lines; hard ideas, hard lines
The design professions are more visually oriented than psychology, partly because a
firm’s ability to get a contract depends on making visually engaging presentations. In order to
bridge gaps between design and the behavioral sciences, it is useful for applied environmental
psychologists to understand the conventions designers employ in establishing an expressive
visual vocabulary. Furthermore, empirically derived principles may be better understood by both
designers and laypersons if psychologists understand, or even adopt some graphic conventions.
Of course, design professionals spend years learning to master these techniques, but this exercise
should help clarify some of the principles.
Soft ideas, soft lines; hard ideas, hard lines:
Early in the design process a
professional might use tools such as fat
markers, charcoal, pastels, crayons, pencils,
soft paints and other soft implements. Later,
final drawings are done with hard lines
created by straight edges or computerized
drafting programs because these are best at
conveying precise and detailed plans.
(Frederick, 2007).
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This visual study by the Pittsburgh architect Albert Filoni was used in planning a campus
bookstore. Notice how the bold, informal lines and the abstract human figures help us to know
that this is a conceptual, rather than formal drawing. The informality invites us to use our
imagination to cooperate in understanding the feeling of the new space, rather than critiquing the
drawing as a finished product. More formal drawing and blueprints create an air of finality and
can discourage discussions. See chapter 10 of Kaplan and Kaplan (1982) for a thoughtful
discussion of the advantages of rough, as opposed to finished graphics in fostering public
participation.
Here are examples of some
loose lines that might be used to
illustrate movement (left) or
barriers and edges (right). These
might appear in a pedestrian
circulation diagram, or as part of a
graphical summary of cognitive
maps.
On an attached sheet create a graphics vocabulary for at least:
a. 2 types of edges or barriers
b. 3 types of paths
The symbols should be colored, neat, and consistent with their stated purpose as
attractive, but informal enough to encourage participation.
2) Review the discussion of the elements of cognitive maps. Use a campus map and one
sheet of tracing paper to present an overlay of the main travel paths in the central area of
campus. Using a separate overlay show “edges” or impediments to travel or legibility in
the central area of campus. Use neat and meaningful symbols.
Frederick, M. (2007). 101 things I learned in architecture school. Cambridge, MA: The
MIT Press.
Kaplan, S & Kaplan R, (1982). Cognition and environment: Functioning in an
uncertain world. New York: Praeger.
Communications Exercise
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In all likelihood you will want to word-process your responses to the short answer questions
below, and then attach a sheet (or two) for the drawing assignments.
Part I
1) What is the main theme of the on-line article? How is it relevant to your own writing, or the
writing of other students?
2) Write a sentence or two to distinguish between passive voice and past tense. Feel free to
employ all of the power of Google or the APA manual to clarify your thinking. (Cite the
reference, of course).
3) Consider a topic or fact we’ve covered so far in class.
a. How would you write about the topic to make it interesting and clear in a letter to a
good friend? How would your treatment of the topic differ if you were writing a review
article or textbook chapter?
b. Now write the passage as you think it should appear as an entry in your class journal. If
you like you may transfer your answer to the journal itself.
Part II
4) On an attached sheet please submit your own graphics vocabulary for (at least)
a. 2 types of edges or barriers
b. 3 types of paths
5) The symbols you submit should be colored, neat, and consistent with their stated purpose.
6) Use tracing paper and photographs to show what a study of architectural details of a familiar
campus building would look like if drawn with a “loose” style.
7) Use a campus map and tracing paper to present an overlay of what you consider to be the main
travel paths in the central area of campus. Create a separate overlay showing what you
consider to be edges, that is, impediments to travel or legibility in the central area of campus.
Use neat and meaningful symbols.
Frederick, M. (2007). 101 things I learned in architecture school. Cambridge, MA: The MIT
Press.
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Nature and Human Nature
Biodiversity Exercise Student Handout:
Biodiversity Exercise
The United Nations declared the year 2010 to be the International Year of Biodiversity (MartonLefèvre, 2010). Should biodiversity be valued on college campuses? Many campuses are
establishing no-mow, prairie, or rain garden zones where native species are encouraged and
artificial fertilizers and herbicides are banned. In order to understand some of the many issues,
we will use a simple method to measure the biodiversity of four campuses locations.
Pick a point in each of the assigned study areas and inscribe a three-foot diameter circle using a
pencil and the string provided. Note every type of plant or animal in the study plot (it isn’t
important to count blades of grass, just the various species present). It also isn’t important to
know the formal names of all, or even most of the plants and animals – a simple description such
as “furry white caterpillar” or “dark green plant with fleshy leaves” will suffice. Create a chart
similar to the example below that illustrates the differences in the four study plots.
Main Quad
# of distinct
ANIMAL
species
# of distinct
PLANT
species
Field Notes
#
Psychology
Building
Lawn
#
Environmental
Studies Rain
Garden
#
Weed Patch
behind
building X
#
#
#
#
#
Marton-Lefèvre, J. (2010). Biodiversity is our life, Science, 327(5970), p1179.
Noise
Bedroom Noises Checklist
Which of these noises can you hear inside your bedroom at home?
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□ Street/Traffic noise
□ Business/Industrial noise
□ Train/public transit noise
□ Neighbor noise
□ Aircraft noise
□ Water/Nature noise
□ Music/television/media noise
□ Computer/Appliance noise
□ Other _____________________
Total Number of Noises _______
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Noise Sensitivity Items (taken from Weinstein, 1978)
In the space by each item, put the number from the scale below that best reflects your answers.
(-) indicates reverse scored item.
1
2
Disagree
Disagree
Strongly
3
4
5
6
Disagree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Slightly
Slightly
Strongly
_____1.
I get annoyed when my neighbors are noisy.
_____2.
I get used to most noises without much difficulty (-)
_____3.
I find it hard to relax in a place that’s noisy.
_____4.
I get mad at people who make noise that keeps me from falling asleep or getting
work done.
_____5.
I am sensitive to noise.
Personal Space and Territoriality
Privacy Preference items (taken from Marshall, 1974)
For the following questions, mark the space according to the following information:
1 = Strongly disagree; 2 = Disagree; 3 = Undecided; 4 = Agree; 5 = Strongly Agree;
Not Neighboring subscale; (-) indicates reverse scored item
____1.
I want my friends to feel that they can drop in at my house any time they like (-)
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____2.
I would prefer a neighborhood where neighbors had a tendency to drop in all the
time to one in which it was difficult to get to know them (-)
____3.
I really enjoy being able to loan things to friends (-)
____4.
I would dislike living in an urban area where I never got to know my neighbors (-)
____5.
It usually annoys me to have people come to my home without letting me know
they are coming.
____6.
I would like to live in a neighborhood where people do things together now and
then (-)
____7.
Although I occasionally enjoy talking to my neighbors, I don’t like to get
involved with them.
____8.
When I have a very important decision to make I prefer to make it alone.
____9.
When I really need to find a solution for a problem, I do it best by talking with
others rather than working alone (-)
Seclusion subscale; (-) indicates reverse scored item
____1.
I would like to live in a secluded house out of sight of any other houses.
____2.
“A house should be so far away from a neighbor that only by yelling at the top of
one’s lungs can one be heard.”
____3.
It wouldn’t bother me to be able to overhear the noise of everyday living from
neighboring houses (footsteps, water, running, etc.) (-)
____4.
Although I enjoy walking in the woods, I would rather not go alone (-)
____5.
I would like to have a private retreat which no one would enter without asking me
____6.
It is important to me to have a house away from the noise of traffic.
____7.
The constant noise of modern life is really rather exciting (-)
____8.
When I really need to find a solution for a problem, I do it best by talking with
others rather than working alone(-)
____9.
I would dislike living in an urban area where I never got to know my neighbors (-)
Big 5 Personality
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(Taken from International Personality Item Pool; (-) indicates reverse scored item)
Each person has their own set of personality characteristics. Answer each item in terms of how
much it describes YOU AS A PERSON. Remember, this is the ACTUAL PERSON THAT
YOU ARE and not what others would want you to be or what the ideal you would be.
1
2
Not at all
3
Somewhat
I…
_____1. am the life of the party.
_____2. am interested in people.
_____3. am always prepared.
_____4. am relaxed most of the time.
_____5. have a rich vocabulary.
_____6. don’t talk a lot. (-)
_____7. will insult people. (-)
_____8. will leave my belongings around. (-)
_____9. get stressed out easily. (-)
_____10.have difficulty understanding abstract ideas. (-)
_____11. feel comfortable around people.
_____12. sympathize with others' feelings.
_____13. pay attention to details.
_____14. seldom feel blue.
_____15. have a vivid imagination.
_____16. keep in the background. (-)
4
5
A lot
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_____17. am not interested in other people's problems. (-)
_____18. make a mess of things. (-)
_____19. worry about things. (-)
_____20. am not interested in abstract ideas. (-)
_____21. start conversations.
_____22. have a soft heart.
_____23. get chores done right away.
_____24. am not easily bothered by things.
_____25. have excellent ideas.
Extraversion ___________
1, (6), 11, (16), 21
Agreeableness ___________
2, (7), 12, (17), 22
Conscientiousness ___________
3, (8), 13, (18), 23
Emotional Stability ___________
4, (9), 14, (19), 24
Openness ___________
The City
The Familiar Stranger
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The familiar stranger is someone that a person has observed on many occasions but with
whom he or she has never interacted. Milgram (1970) found that many city residents have a
number of people in their lives that may be called familiar strangers. Furthermore, Milgram
found that people often thought about their familiar strangers and tried to figure out what kind of
lives they led. We (Romano, Nurse) ask the class about any familiar strangers that they have
had, where they encountered them, and whether they invented a life story around those
individuals. We show a picture on a slide that depicts someone who could be a familiar stranger.
We have students state what first comes to mind about the person in the photo. We ask the
students what has inhibited them from striking up a conversation with the familiar stranger and
finding out about his/her life story. We then ask students if they think it would be easier to find
out about a familiar stranger in a small town. Finally, we give them an assignment: before the
next class: approach a familiar stranger and ask about his/her life story, explaining that the
student is required to ask as part of a class assignment (we caution them about not taking chances
on personal safety). We then have the students report back on the experience at the next class
meeting. We find that they have learned the familiar stranger concept well after this exercise.
For numerous other ideas and a video on the familiar stranger, we recommend this website:
http://www.paulos.net/research/intel/familiarstranger/index.htm
Milgram, S. (1970). The experience of living in cities. Science, 167, 1461-1468.
Residential Environments
Your Ideal Home
Preferences for home designs vary widely. I (Nurse) have students search real estate
listings for their ideal home and then have them present their choices to the class and explain
their preferences. It is informative to compare the important dimensions they mention across
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students, such as city vs. suburb vs. exurb vs. rural; single-family vs. condominium; privacy vs.
openness; yard size; community amenities (e.g., schools, shopping, transportation, parks); design
features (e.g., main floor master suite, great room, fenced yard, parking spaces). We then discuss
what tradeoffs they are willing to make, and note that one size does not fit all. Finally, I ask
whether students expect their preferences to change over time.
Place attachment and college student retention
I would be unhappy if I could not see my family on a regular basis.
1
2
3
4
Strongly Disagree
5
Strongly Agree
I would love to move back to my hometown for the rest of my life.
1
2
Strongly Disagree
3
4
5
Strongly Agree
Work, Learning, and Leisure Settings
Our Campus Environment
We can read a college campus to reveal a rich history if we look carefully, but in my (T.
Greene) experience most students and faculty have not examined building designs or campus
layout to see what the designers intended. This exercise encourages students to become scholars
of their campus, and even to think about the legacy they may leave behind. Most value the
opportunity and are amazed at what they have overlooked. It can be eye-opening to learn about
the architectural history of one’s own campus in terms of the layout, evolving building materials,
and changes in pedagogy and campus cultures. Here is a sample exercise from one campus that
helps illustrate how a campus tour can illustrate design principles, but it is adaptable for any
campus. The questions I suggest often provoke much thought and some debate among students.
1) Older formal buildings such as administration buildings, chapels, and libraries may be
rich in ornamentation such as stone or wood carvings or wrought iron hardware, or
stained glass. Which buildings have attracted the most attention? New buildings often
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enjoy less ornament, but they may be wonderful examples of modern, post-modern, or
organic styles. What is the role of decoration in giving a building character and do
building exteriors seem to affect the pleasantness of the campus or even the classes
within? How have changes in educational technology changed campus and the
productivity and happiness of students? Do students or faculty have a role in shaping
campus, and how might their role be expanded? Finally, how do buildings help to create
a sense of place and character? Is this character an important factor in many students’
college choice?
2) Some buildings become the formal symbols of the college or university, appearing
prominently on web sites and literature, whereas others, as with an embarrassing relative,
seem hidden away.
3) Most campuses illustrate good or bad applications of the course principles from
misaligned “you–are–here” maps, to uncomfortable benches, to glaring lights outside of
residence hall bedroom windows. At one university visitors must find their way to the
middle of campus to finally view a “you-are-here” map.
4) Residence halls may still show traces of cultural shifts in the 1960s and 1970s when men
and women were no longer segregated by sex and bathroom hardware was no longer
specific. More recently, students have demanded more flexible living arrangements,
including suites and separated townhouses, and these too have left their mark. Similarly,
athletic facilities may show awkward adaptations to meet the increasing demand for
athletic participation by women.
5) Many campuses have memorials to individuals, or groups of alumni who died in wars, or
in terrorist attacks. Other monuments simply honor donors, but it may be interesting to
learn the cause of their generosity. What is the role of a sense of history in establishing
the character or “feel” of a campus, and how will this generation of students feel about
campus after graduation?
Below is a sample handout of the exercise for one campus.
Handout for Campus Exploration Exercise
A Campus Exploration Exercise
Make sure you read over the whole assignment before you begin including the last section
because it will save you time. Visit the buildings that follow. Take the time to really look at
them…touch them, go inside if you have never been there. Consider making simple sketches or
taking photos of architectural details to demonstrate your analysis. Then complete the questions
that follow. While you are moving around campus, please note which landscape areas are
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attractive and which are unattractive. Which areas are quiet and which are busy (low vs. high
arousal)?
1) ODY
a. Of what material is the building constructed? Touch it. How does it feel?
b. What sorts of ornament (decorative visual elements) do you notice?
c. In 1980, a new wing of the building was added and became the front door. Where
does the new part of the building connect with the old? Where is the “join” on the
interior?
d. How well do the windows function in providing views from the interior to the
exterior?
e. Is the building in harmony with its purpose (does it work as a library?),
environment (does it fit the space?), and time (is it timeless or easily outdated?).
2) Hering-Cole
a. Do the interior and exterior “fit” with each other? What does the color of the
bonding material (mortar) for the exterior say about the visual intent of the
designer? What do the interior woodwork and the large window say about the
building?
b. What over-all feeling does the building convey? What level of ornamentation and
construction quality does the building exhibit?
c. In your experience, does the rumor that it is “haunted” affect its level or type of
use?
3) Gunnison
a. Note the role of gutters and decorations. How does the detail and quality of
construction compare with other campus buildings? How do Gunnison, Herring
Cole and Richardson compare with ODY and Johnson Hall of Science?
4) Carnegie
a. What does a careful inspection of the west exterior (facing Park) tell you about
the building’s history?
5) Hepburn.
a. Note the stone faces on the north (Carnegie side) exterior. Who are those people?
b. Why would those individuals be on this particular building? How did you find
the information to answer this question?
6) Dean Eaton
a. What materials are used on the exterior?
b. Look at Dean Eaton from the quad side. Look particularly at the dormers,
roofline, and exterior finish. Perhaps you could take a photograph or make a
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quick sketch. Now compare Dean Eaton with the senior townhouses. How are
the exteriors similar or dissimilar?
7) Piskor.
a. What does the Park Street exterior tell you about changes in the way the building
functions?
b. Notice the cupola on the roof. What other buildings have similar rooftop
decorations?
c. How does the newly created quad between Piskor and the Sullivan Student Center
change the space and campus?
8) Sullivan Student Center
a. What is the exterior visual impression of the building? Does it fit within its
environmental context? What efforts have been made to make it “a good visual
neighbor to Sykes”?
b. How would you characterize the interior? Does it work well or poorly with its
intended use?
9) Johnson Hall of Science.
a. Does it “fit” with the campus environment, especially Sykes/Dana and the
Sullivan Student Center.? Which façade (side) is or is not the most harmonious?
b. What is the character and purpose of the surrounding landscape? Does it work,
and how might it work better?
Institutional Environments
Nursing Homes and Other Facilities for the Elderly
The Eden Alternative is a movement that encourages incorporating natural components
such as nonhuman animals, plants, gardening, and interactive opportunities with nature into care
facilities. I use the website below to facilitate a discussion on maintaining contact with nature in
senior facilities. If there is an Eden Alternative facility in the community, it makes for an
interesting field trip.
http://www.edenalt.org/bill-thomas-and-others-on-eden-alternative
Designing a Remodeled Space to Incorporate Principles from Environmental Psychology
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Patricia Romano, Ph.D.
A fun semester-long homework assignment involves assigning students to groups and having
each group come up with a new design for an existing space that improves the functionality of
the space through design principles learned in the course. Each group selects its own space,
which might be a restaurant, a lobby, a classroom, an outdoor seating area, or anything else of
interest. The groups create a poster that explains their remodel and how their remodel
incorporates material from the course. Having a presentation day toward the end of the course
where all groups present their posters is an engaging and enlightening way to review course
material and demonstrate applicability of constructs.
CLOSING THE APPLICABILITY GAP GROUP PROJECT
Purpose: The purpose of the group project is to provide students an opportunity to design or
redesign an indoor or outdoor structure using theories relevant to environmental psychology.
Examples of indoor structures are offices, rooms in a home, library, church, or hospital.
Examples of outdoor structures are parks, playgrounds, resorts, or stadiums. Following are the
instructions and deadlines for the project. It is suggested that students choose a structure that is
realistic in order to be more thorough in their design process. Students will publicly present their
designs near the end of the semester and may do so as a poster, model, architectural drawing, or
other creative presentation.
TASK
DESCRIPTION
DEADLINE
Group Assignment
Students are placed into
groups.
Thursday, January 18
Memo to Instructor
Groups will meet to determine:
1) structure to be designed;
Memo due to instructor
Thursday, February 1.
2) purpose of the structure; and
3) audience that will visit/use
the structure. Groups are to
type a short memo to the
instructor that includes all
names of group members and
the answers to the three items
mentioned above. Contact
information should be included
and the name of one group
member who will communicate
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for the group.
Theory/Item
Delegation
Groups will assign each
member at least one of the
following theories: 1) Arousal;
Memo due to instructor
Thursday, February 8.
2) Environmental Load;
3) Behavior Constraint;
4) Adaptation Level; and
5) Social Density/Personal
Space. Groups should also
select at least one other theory
that is relevant to their design
(e.g. biophilia). Also, groups will
assign members the following
items: 1)Wayfinding;
2) illumination (lighting);
3) noise; 4) sound; 5) touch;
6) smell; and 7) affordances.
Students will need to find one
research article per theory and
item to include in display and
narrative.
Project Completion
Groups will meet and
communicate as needed to
complete the design and note
cards that specify
theories/items and article
summaries and citations. (These
note cards should be part of
your tabletop presentation.)
Groups need to explain how
these theories and items relate
Each group will
communicate their
progress to the instructor
through a memo or
meeting during the first
two weeks of March, prior
to Spring Recess, March 10.
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to their design from an
environmental psychological
perspective.
Project Display Due:
Tuesday, April 17.
Narrative
On the same day as the display,
groups will provide the
instructor with a one-page
cover sheet with the name of
the project and student names.
A narrative no longer than five
double-spaced pages that
highlights the design, theories,
and items should be attached.
In addition to the cover page
and narrative, a separate set of
pages for references used for
the project listed in APA style
should be included at the end.
Due: Tuesday, April 17
Evaluations
Students will complete an
evaluation for each group
member that informs the
instructor how each student
contributed to the group
process and project. These
evaluations will be completed
privately and handed to the
instructor.
Due: Thursday, April 19
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GROUP PROJECT GRADING CRITERIA
The group project is worth 50 points of a student’s grade. Student grades for the group project
will be based on the following:
1. Quality of the overall design (10 points).
2. Quality of personal contribution to the project (10 points).
3. Conduct when working with the group (10 points).
4. Professionalism/Creativity of display (10 points).
5. Contribution to narrative (5 points).
6. Quality of peer evaluations (5 points).
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ADDITIONAL PROJECT POINTS
1. Psychological theories and items should be the primary focus of the project and how they
are addressed in the design. Groups need to show how each theory/item will meet the
purpose of the structure and needs of the audience.
2. Groups should provide the anticipated dimensions of the design.
3. Although psychological issues are the main focus, groups should briefly mention the
materials used for the overall design.
4. The normative and positive theories should also be mentioned somewhere in the display
and narrative. See text for a definition and explanation of these terms.
5. Groups may include other concepts from the text or lectures that are important to their
design. All projects will be on display Tuesday, April 17, during the regular class period.
The location will be announced at a later date. Groups need to be organized so that
members can set up and take down the display quickly. If available, other faculty and
graduate students may attend the display session. All group members should be at their
display tables to provide explanations for visitors. PY316 students will also visit the other
displays. Groups, therefore, should coordinate how their table will be supervised during
the hour so that everyone has a chance to visit the tables.
6. Project displays should be affordable for all group members. For example, the
Psychology Department and other campus computer centers may be able to create posters
for limited or no cost. Check with the instructor for this information.
7. Although every project will include the expected theories and items mentioned in the
timeline of tasks, groups are encouraged to be creative and thorough in their designs.
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ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY STUDENT EVALUATION FORM
Instructions: Use this form to evaluate each member of your group. Due: Thursday, April 19.
Write your name in the following space: ____________________________
Group #: ________________ Project: _______________________________
Write the name of each group member in the following spaces. Circle the word that best
describes his/her behavior. Include comments that you think are important.
1. Student: ___________________
Attendance at Meetings:
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Punctuality Meeting Deadlines:
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Quality of Work:
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Attitude toward Group Members
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Environmental - 26
Comments:
2. Student: ___________________
Attendance at Meetings:
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Punctuality Meeting Deadlines:
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Quality of Work:
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Attitude toward Group Members
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Comments:
3. Student: ___________________
Attendance at Meetings:
Environmental - 27
Punctuality Meeting Deadlines:
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Quality of Work:
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Attitude toward Group Members
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Attendance at Meetings:
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Punctuality Meeting Deadlines:
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Quality of Work:
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Attitude toward Group Members
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Comments:
4. Student: ___________________
Comments:
Environmental - 28
Environmental - 29
PY 316 Environmental Psychology
Student Presentations
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Duhesa Lounge & Rooms 214-216 (LSC)
2:10-3:20 p.m.
Closing the Applicability Gap:
An Interdisciplinary Approach to Design
Environmental Psychology is
the scientific study of how
people think, feel, and behave in
built or natural environments.
The
designs in this
31611Environmental
Psy
presentation reflect the
application of theories and
concepts specific to the field.
Each design is an original
creation developed by an
interdisciplinary group of
students enrolled in the course.
Student majors include
Psychology, Interior Design,
Sociology, Human
Development, Economics,
History, Art, Journalism, and
Natural Resources.
Group Designs On Display
1)Fitness Floor
4) Café
9) Spa
2) Skateboard/Snowboard Shop
5) Coffee Shop
10) Office Space
6) Loft
11) Restaurant
3) Playground
7) Park
8) Hotel Lobby
Environmental - 30
Alternative Semester-Long Service Project (statement from syllabus of B. Mace)
Students will work in groups of up to 4 members on a service project related to
environmental psychology. Completion of the project will entail designing, implementing,
writing about, and presenting the project to the rest of the class. Creativity, community
involvement, and service learning are encouraged. Groups must begin their idea generation early
in the semester and clear the project with the professor before the project can actually be carried
out. Both group and individual performance will be assessed. Each individual will complete a
short 4-5 page paper on their research or service project.
Changing Behavior to Save the Environment
Explanation of Points Game Commons Dilemma Exercise
Cass and Edney (1978) and Edney and Harper (1978) designed a “Points Game”
simulation of the commons dilemma that makes for a fun class exercise. Updated details of the
simulation are described in Edney and Bell (1984). Select three players (see modification below
for large classes) and tell them that they share a common pool of 15 points; write “15” on the
board and draw a circle around it, representing the pool. They play a series of rounds in which
for each round, without discussing it with the others, they hold up a card—inscribed with either a
0, 1, 2, or 3—that indicates the number of points they wish to harvest for that round; all players
hold up their cards at the same time so they cannot change their minds after seeing what the
others have decided. The instructor or an assistant subtracts those points from the pool and lists
them in a column under each player’s name; i.e., the instructor or an assistant erases the 15 and
replaces it with 15 minus however many total points the participants chose for that round. After
each even-numbered round, the amount of points in the pool double; in no case can the number
of points in the pool go over 15. If the pool drops to 0 or below the game is over. The purpose
of the game is for students to earn as many points as they can. The instructor explains these rules
to the players and begins the game. More class participation arises by having groups instead of
individuals be the players, with each group consisting of 4 to 6 members who must make a group
decision on how many points to harvest each round; they get to discuss their harvest decision
within their groups before each round. To include all the class members, create as many groups
as needed, with the pool initially holding 5 points times the number of groups (e.g., 6 groups
requires 30 points in the pool to start). On the board, tally the number of rounds the game lasts
and the total number of points harvested. The first game typically lasts only 2 to 4 rounds. The
next one may go a little longer. In the interest of time, it is usually best to end the game after 10
or 15 rounds by announcing the game is over, but it can go as long as the instructor likes. We
then throw in some independent variables that change the outcome. For one IV, we allow the
players to include an “X” card in their holdings. We explain that holding up the X card on an
odd-numbered round means the player takes 0 points for that round but the pool doubles at the
end of the round. Then participants play the game and realize that it goes a few more rounds
with this option, which is a form of altruism. They then play another game with an “S” card
added. We explain that holding up the S card means that that player harvests nothing from the
pool but does get to keep the points chosen by the other players on that round. If more than one
Environmental - 31
player holds up the S card, they evenly split whatever points the remaining players chose. If
everyone holds up an S card, no one gets any points that round. Again, what is remaining in the
pool doubles after every even-numbered round. Once the game starts we find that mostly Ss get
held up, so players receive few total points and the pool never depletes. Next, we take away the
S cards and allow the players to talk with each other as they play the next game. Usually, they
find that communication helps preserve the pool. Next, we give each player or group their own
pool of 5 points, which I draw on the board. All other rules stay the same except they harvest
only from their own pool and that pool can never go above 5 points; there is no S card and an X
doubles only their own remaining pool points. They find that the game goes for many rounds
and the total harvest is high, illustrating what happens when they use the privatization or
territorial strategy to manage the common resource. The problem is that it is not practical to
privatize some of our shared resources, such as the air we breathe or a national park. A fiveminute alternative simulation is found in Edney (1979).
Cass, R., & Edney, J. J. (1978). The commons dilemma: A simulation testing the effects of
resource visibility and territorial division. Human Ecology, 6, 371-386.
Edney, J. (1979). The nuts game: A concise commons dilemma analog. Environmental
Psychology & Nonverbal Behavior, 3(4), 252-254.
Edney, J. J., & Bell, P. A. (1984). Sharing scarce resources: Group-outcome orientation,
external disaster, and stealing in a simulated commons. Small Group Behavior, 15, 87108.
Edney, J. J., & Harper, C. S. (1978). Heroism in a resource crisis: A simulation study.
Environmental Management, 2, 523-527.
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