Environmental Psychology: History, Scope, and Methods

Environmental Psychology: A discipline that studies the interplay between individuals and their built and natural environment

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