Lecture 7 - The Physical Environment

What is the physical environment?

That which humans have built. It consists of the natural environment and the built environment. It servies as source of sensory information (explained by stimulation theories). Constrains or limits some behaviors (explained by control theories). Encourgaes/prescribes some behaviors (explained by behavior setting theories)

What is the transactional approach to understanding the relationship between the physical environment and human behavior?

Humans use the env for their own advantage

What aspects of the physical environment are related to human behavior?

All - setting, people in it

What are stimulation theories?

The physical environment is a source of sensory information essential for human well-being. Patterns of stimuatlion influence thinking, emotions, social interaction, and health - varies in type and amount, dose response. Important concepts - stimulus overload, restricted environmental stimulation

Dose response?

A bit of stimulation is a good thing, but it reaches a threshold which is too much

Control theories?

How much control we have over our physical environment and how we gain more. Some person/environment configurations provide more control over the physical environment than others. Other important concepts - privacy, personal space (boundary-regulating mechanisms), territoriality (boundary-regulating mechanisms), crowding

Behavior Settings Theories?

Consistent, uniform behavior patterns occur in specific settings. Different people may act the same in the same setting more so than the same people in different setting - footballs games - take the same people and they act differently depending on the setting. Setting modifies behavior. Important concepts - behavior settings, programs, staffing

Behavior settings?

The locations of specific patterns of behavior

Programs?

Refers to consistent and prescribed patterns of behavior for specific settings

Staffing?

Refers to the different numbers of participants/staff for various purposes

Ecocritical theories?

Calls attention to ways people degrate and destory the natural world. Unequal burden of enviornmental degradation of different groups - racist, classist. (Toxic dump sites are heavily trafficked and who are forced into the areas) Ethical obligatons that humans have to nonhuman elements of the natural world. Important concepts - deep ecology, ecofeminsim

Deep ecology?

The total interconnectedness of all elements of the natural and physical world

Ecofeminism?

Considers domination, exploitation, and hierarchies as part of a patriarchal logic leading to enviornmental degradation

The natural environment?

The part of the environment made up of all living and nonliving things naturally occurring. Among people’s fav places. Most research on relationship between human behavior and natural environment has been the stimulation theory tradition.

Benefits of the natural environment?

Long tradition of research into benefits of the natural environment for human behavior. Attention to restoration and psychophysiological theories

Attention restoration theory?

Interacting with nature restores depleted cognitive resource s

Psychophysiological stress recovery theory?

Interacting with nature helps people to uncover emotionally and physiologically

Biophilia?

Genetically based need to affiliate with nature

Ecotherapy?

Environmental/ecological justice?

Occurs when all groups of people have equal share of the harmful environmental effects of policies and operations of business and governments. Movements approach environmental issues from the standpoint of the rights of nature, not the rights of humans. Sustainable development. All ideas first proposed by Jane Addams - garbage removal, tenement housing

The built environment?

The portion of the physical environment attributable to human effort - tools, structures, buildings, technologies

What does the physical environment affect?

Mood, problem solving, productivity, violent behavior. Sociopetal and sociofugal spaces

Sociopetal spaces?

Encourage social interaction - parks with intersecting traits

Sociofugal spaces?

discourages social interaction - Rows of desks where people look at the back of the head of the person in front of them, Airport terminals with seats bolted to the floors, Using synthetic (e.g., concrete) rather than natural (e.g., grass) spaces in city parks

Technology?

Technology?

Healing environments?

Evidence-based design: uses physiological and health outcome measures to evaluate the health benefits of hospital design features. Attention to biomedical research that links physical environment with human health - less noise, soothing colors, views of nature, more sunlight

The urban penalty?

In recent years, some suggest an increasing rural and suburban penalty and an urban advantage - increase in number of available services (formal and informal), urban gardens, urban cycling

Urban design and health?

Designers creating surburban towns

Place attachment?

The process in which people and groups form bond with places. Place identity and settings

Place identity?

When a particular place becomes an important part of self-identity - fav hiking paths, shopping places, streets

Settings associated with?

Personal meaning, strong sense of self, gorup and cultural identity

Homelessness?

Cannot find affordable housing. National Alliance to End Homelessness concerned about 4 groups - families, youths, veterans, chronically homeless.

Cost of homelessness?

High, ending homelessness would lead ot 59% reduced costs in healthcare, 61% decrease in emergency department costs, 77% decrease in the number of general inpatient hospitalizaitons

Social model of disability?

emphasizes barriers people with impairments face are the result of the relationship between the individual and environment

The rehabilitation act?

prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs conducted by federal agencies, in programs receiving federal financial assistance, in federal employment, and in the employment practices of federal contractors.

The americans with disabilties act?

prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in several areas, including employment, transportation, public accommodations, communications and access to state and local government' programs and services.Title I—Workplace discrimination. Title II—Accessibility for impaired individuals in public sector. Title III—Accessibility for those in a public area even if the location is run by a private company. Title IV—All phone companies must develop and maintain services to aid in communication. Title V—Technical guidelines for enforcement

Accessible environments as a social justice issue?

People with disabilities more likely to be poor, High prevalence of disability among elderly, Barriers to workplace for those with disability, Limited participation in social life and community programs