Environment
Courtesy : www.psychologytoday.com/
All human thinking and behavior unfolds within one of countless physical environments with distinct characteristics. From noisy, crowded offices to quiet, open fields, from one’s private bedroom to the whole of the natural world, the environment can be dissected at multiple levels, each of which has important connections to psychology.
Among the consequential links between the environment and the mind are those between the qualities of certain environments (most notably natural settings) and well-being, as well as the psychological relationship between individuals and their threatened natural environments.
Contents
What Is Environmental Psychology?
Environmental psychology is a branch of psychology that explores the relationship between humans and the external world. The influence of natural and human-built surroundings on how people feel, think, and behave is a major focus of research in the field.
What is the “environment” in environmental psychology?
Environmental psychology focuses on a variety of physical spaces inhabited by people, including both human-built and natural ones. These can include relatively small-scale environments, such as a classroom, a home, or a public park, as well as larger-scale spaces such as schools, hospitals, or neighborhoods. (In other areas of psychology, the term “environment” is often used in a different way, to broadly refer to non-genetic factors that lead to individual differences.)
What are some key topics in environmental psychology?
Important subjects in environmental psychology include the negative or positive effects of spaces on people who inhabit them: for example, the impact of environmental stressors like noise or crowding; the restorative effect of natural environments; and the features associated with increased well-being, performance, or other measures in places like offices, homes, schools, and neighborhoods. Environmental psychologists also study personal space, privacy, and the sense of ownership of spaces, how people can better navigate environments, why certain environments are preferred to others, and what motivates concern for the environment and environmentally friendly behaviors.
Why is environmental psychology important?
The Benefits of Nature
Even in an increasingly urbanized world, the natural environment is deeply important to the human species. In addition to providing space to explore, play, and relax with minimal interference, nature appears to have positive effects on mental health. Whether people get their dose of the outdoors on a trek through the wilderness or a jog through the city park, research suggests, we should not overlook its potential as a psychological salve.
What are some psychological benefits of spending time in nature?
Time spent in natural environments and proximity to green space (such as an urban park) have been associated with measures of well-being—including lower anxiety and depression symptoms—in a number of studies. Researchers have found evidence that time in natural environments can lower blood pressure and levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Some informally refer to “nature therapy” or “vitamin N” to highlight nature’s potential benefits.
How much time outdoors do you need to feel better?
People may not need not go on extended hikes to see psychological gains from time in nature. Researchers found that spending just a couple of hours per week in green spaces was associated with higher self-ratings of health and well-being. Time in nature can encourage exercise, which itself has benefits for well-being, but the finding held even for those who reported little or no exercise.
