Environmental Psychology: History, Scope, and Methods
Environmental Psychology: A discipline that studies the interplay between individuals and their built and natural environment
How humans impact the environment and vice versa
Environmentally psychologically has been recognized as a field in the 1960s
Willy Hellpach
Considered as first environmental psychologist
Studied the impact of different environmental stimuli, such as color and form, the sun and the moon and extreme environments, on human activities
Founding Fathers of Environmental Psychology
Egon Brunswik (1903-1955)
Kurt Lewin (1890-1947)
Growth in studies examining the role of humans in preserving (or destroying the environment)
How the environment contributes to human mental health and well-being
Human beings’ role is important in environmental psychology
Environment is influenced by human actions
Conservation behavior, climate change beliefs, plastic use, nature and well-being (mental health), nature and healing
Increased concern about environmental problems (climate change, deforestation, pollution, etc)
Broad concept “sustainability” (encompases healh, economic, environmental aspect of sustainable living)
Eventually evolved into psychology of sustainability
Human behavior and how we can get people to engage in pro-environmental behavior
Human-environmental interaction
Reciprocal interaction between humans and environment
Deforestation
Laws exist in the Philippines but they’re not as effective
Plastic Pollution
Philippines is top 3 in contributing globally
50% of the plastic waste that went to the ocean come from the top 5 countries
6-8% come from Pasig River
Interdisciplinary approach
Psychologists working with
Environmental scientists, engineers, architects, sociologists, anthropologists, educators, etc.
Different perspective and more holistic point of view
An applied focus
Problem-focused
Does not only study phenomenon but thinks about how it can be useful
E.g. how can we use research findings to reduce important environmental problems (plastic pollution, food waste, etc.)
Use of diversity of methods
Quantitative methods (involve numbers, statistics)
Qualitative methods (interviews, group focus discussion, observation, etc.)
Cannot be generalized to the general population
Environmental Psychology: A discipline that studies the interplay between individuals and their built and natural environment
How humans impact the environment and vice versa
Environmentally psychologically has been recognized as a field in the 1960s
Willy Hellpach
Considered as first environmental psychologist
Studied the impact of different environmental stimuli, such as color and form, the sun and the moon and extreme environments, on human activities
Founding Fathers of Environmental Psychology
Egon Brunswik (1903-1955)
Kurt Lewin (1890-1947)
Growth in studies examining the role of humans in preserving (or destroying the environment)
How the environment contributes to human mental health and well-being
Human beings’ role is important in environmental psychology
Environment is influenced by human actions
Conservation behavior, climate change beliefs, plastic use, nature and well-being (mental health), nature and healing
Increased concern about environmental problems (climate change, deforestation, pollution, etc)
Broad concept “sustainability” (encompases healh, economic, environmental aspect of sustainable living)
Eventually evolved into psychology of sustainability
Human behavior and how we can get people to engage in pro-environmental behavior
Human-environmental interaction
Reciprocal interaction between humans and environment
Deforestation
Laws exist in the Philippines but they’re not as effective
Plastic Pollution
Philippines is top 3 in contributing globally
50% of the plastic waste that went to the ocean come from the top 5 countries
6-8% come from Pasig River
Interdisciplinary approach
Psychologists working with
Environmental scientists, engineers, architects, sociologists, anthropologists, educators, etc.
Different perspective and more holistic point of view
An applied focus
Problem-focused
Does not only study phenomenon but thinks about how it can be useful
E.g. how can we use research findings to reduce important environmental problems (plastic pollution, food waste, etc.)
Use of diversity of methods
Quantitative methods (involve numbers, statistics)
Qualitative methods (interviews, group focus discussion, observation, etc.)
Cannot be generalized to the general population