Nature and Characteristics Of Environmental psychology
Based on the above definitions, the nature and features of this science can be shown as follows.
1. Environmental psychology is a branch of psychology.
2. It is a theoretical as well as a practical branch. That is, its goal is to get information and find solutions to concrete problems in life.
3. Human behavior can be properly interpreted and evaluated only in the context of its situation and environment. So to get more information about it, one has to take help from other disciplines like psychology, architecture, geography, population science, sociology, anthropology, and urban and rural planning. Thus, to some extent, this science has become a science with an interdisciplinary approach.
4. Environmental psychology studies the two-way relationships of human behavior and attitudes with the physical and social, natural (man-made), and man-made environments. Behavior, attitude, and environmental relationships are bidirectional. Attitudes and behavior are influenced by the environment, and human attitudes and behavior by the environment. (Thoughts to change the environment come to man’s mind, and he tries to change the environment through behavior.
5. The relationship between behavior and the environment is dynamic and fluid. It undergoes minor changes from time to time. Behavior also changes. Attitudes also change, and the environment also keeps on changing slowly or rapidly. So the relationship between them does not stay the same forever. Environmental psychologists therefore have to constantly study these relationships and be aware of new phenomena emerging in the environment and in behavior. Thus, this science has become a continuous developmental science.
6. Environmental psychology is not only a political science but also a practical applied science. Therefore, it pays special attention to the important problems that arise in human life today. E.g.
- How much space an average person has, whether at home, at work, or outside, how freely they can move around, and how they use that space.
- how the size, shape, and construction of man-made structures affect the people living in them.
- What is the number of people (density) living in a certain area? And what effect does it have?
Environmental psychology provides an explanation of causal relationships by describing and analyzing the phenomena of situations and behavior on the one hand. On the other hand, through effective planning of the environment, it also finds ways to improve and maintain optimal relationships of people with their particular environment. Thus, it is also a regenerative science.
7. This science adopts a holistic (molar or macro) approach to the study of the environment, not molecular or micro. It does not make an analytical study of discrete impulses, events, or their various effects. It looks at the whole situation holistically and finds out its overall effect. However, its holistic unit of study varies from a single effect of a building to towering skyscrapers, from the immanent open space of a sidewalk or street to sprawling societies, settlement communities, and even entire cities.
8. The approach of environmental psychology is holistic. It collects presentable and useful information from several physical, biological, and social sciences. and reconciles their different perspectives.
9. Environmental psychology has its origins in non-physical and professional sciences related to planning and construction.
10. Environmental psychology is a branch of psychology in a way similar to other branches of psychology. But on the other hand, it also has its own field of study independent of psychology. The field of work has not been limited to traditional psychology, overt and covert behavior, or cognitive, affective, and affective psychiatry. His horizons for study extend far beyond the boundaries of traditional psychology. It differs significantly from mainstream psychology in subject matter, approach, and methodology.
11. Practical disciplines such as architecture or town planning, Proshansdy says, tend to ignore subjective judgments to some extent. Environmental psychology emphasizes the subjective components of understanding and maintaining the environment to correct this deficit. and considers the quality of the environment in human terms. And for that, it also examines the effects of various pollutants from the environment.
12. Environmental psychology deals with the behavior of individuals as well as social relationships between two or more individuals. Examines group differences in addition to individual differences in behavior. Examines the effects on psychological phenomena arising in specific environments, different groups, communities, or organizations. It also takes into account the internal as well as external conditions of a built space, like a building. Thus, it is a general psychology of the environment as well as a social psychology of the environment.
13. Environmental psychology studies how people perceive and respond to their environment in a variety of contexts.
14. This science examines the effects of the environment on behavior, both motivating and controlling or inhibiting.
15. This science also examines changes in the lifestyle of people, short- or long-term, due to environmental events and changes.
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