Psych 3450 Fall 2013

Environmental Psychology

David L. Wiesenthal

www.psych.yorku.ca/davidw

Contact Information: D. L. Wiesenthal

• 288 Behavioural Sciences Building• (416) 736-2100, ext 30114 (voice mail

available)• davidw@yorku.ca• Course website:

http://www.psych.yorku.ca/davidw/courses/3450P/index.html

• Office hours by appointment• Teaching Assistant: James Roseborough • Secretary: Ms. Judy Manners, 280 BSB

Research Interests

• Driver stress, reduction of driver stress, aggressive behaviour on roadways

• Driver vengeance

• Research ethics

• Vandalism

• Housing needs of different groups

• Scientific racism

Course Organization

• Exam 1 (40%)• Exam 2 (40%• Exam 3 (20%)• All exams cover only

that unit’s work—they are NOT cumulative

• Exams are equally composed of material from lecture, films and readings

Any last words, my son?I should have studied more

for the 3450 exams

Don’t let this happen to you!

Missed Exams

• Make-up exams will only be provided to those submitting the University’s form (see course outline for details).

• The teaching assistant must be contacted (preferably by e-mail) within the designated time period either prior to, or following the exam.

Missed Exams

• Make-up exams will be held at a time and place arranged by the teaching assistant.

Lecture Format

• Attending lectures is vital• PowerPoint presentations for each lecture

will be posted on my website.• If you miss a video, you can view at the

Sound and Moving Image Library on the ground floor of Scott Library

• All films will be discussed and you will be informed prior to the film what you should be getting from the video.

Lecture Format

• Lectures will be for the full three hour time slot.

• A 15 minute break will occur at different times for each session.

No stragglers please, lectures begin at 8:30, so give yourself sufficient time to arrive and

set up for the class.

What is environmental psychology?

• Environmental psychology studies the effect of the environment (or environmental variables) on behaviour. This is the dominant approach.

• Environmental psychology also studies the impact people have on the environment (e.g., studies of littering, motivation for family planning, energy conservation, recycling, use of mass transportation etc.)

• Environmental psychology is a subarea (division) in both the American and Canadian Psychological Associations as well as in the International Association of Applied Psychology.

• Environmental psychology dates back to 1970.

What gave rise to environmental psychology?

Kurt Lewin’s field theory

• P = person• E = psychological

environment• L = life space

)(LfB

EPL

PE

Nonpsychological aspects of the universe

Nonpsychological aspects of the universe

Lewin’s interaction model of personality

What gave rise to environmental psychology?

• Problems of cities, population density, pollution, inner city decay, effects of apartment house living.

• Awareness and importance of the natural environment (endangered wildlife, pollution threats, etc.)

• Desire of social psychology to be useful

• Frustration with theory building in social psychology and in disappointment over its implementation to solve societal problems.

Air Pollution

BP’s Gulf of Mexico Disaster

Water Pollution

Halifax harbour

Minimata disease (mercury poisoning

Alberta’s Tar Sands

Alberta’s Tar Sands

Sydney (NS) Tar Ponds

Love Canal, Niagara Fall, NY

The Vatican’s (Unofficial) New (2008) Additional Sins

• Birth control• Stem cell research• Pollution• Excessive wealth• Creating poverty• Widening the gap

between rich and poor

Source: Toronto Star, March 11, 2008, p. A3

Effects of Global Warming

Effects of Global Warming

Athabasca Glacier

Columbia Icefield

Grinnell Glacier

Assumptions About How the Environment Operates

• The environment is experienced as a unitary field.• The person has environmental properties as well as

individual ones.• There is no physical environment that is not

embedded in, and related to a social system.• The degree of influence of the physical environment

on behaviour varies with the behaviour in question• The environment frequently operates below the level

of awareness.• The “observed” environment is not necessarily the

“real”environment.

Chartres Cathedral

Are atheists turned into believers because of the power of the design?

Chartres Cathedral

Note how the architecture conveys various religious meanings.

Cathedral Doors: Why are there 3 doors?

Amiens Cologne

Notre Dame Pisa

Assumptions About How the Environment Operates

• The environment is experienced as a unitary field.• The person has environmental properties as well as

individual ones.• There is no physical environment that is not

embedded in, and related to a social system.• The degree of influence of the physical environment

on behaviour varies with the behaviour in question• The environment frequently operates below the level

of awareness.• The “observed” environment is not necessarily the

“real”environment.

What colour is the signage on Highway 401?

Highway 401 Signage

core core & collector lanes

Which is the real U.S. penny?

American university students found this quite challenging!

Assumptions About How the Environment Operates

• The environment is experienced as a unitary field.• The person has environmental properties as well as

individual ones.• There is no physical environment that is not

embedded in, and related to a social system.• The degree of influence of the physical environment

on behaviour varies with the behaviour in question• The environment frequently operates below the level

of awareness.• The “observed” environment is not necessarily the

“real”environment.

Main Street Disney WorldMain Street Disney World

Painted child on Vancouver roadway at the start of school in September. Will it cause drivers to drive more cautiously?

The Sidewalk Drawings of Julian Beever

• Beever is an English artist who draws on sidewalks in Europe, Australia, England, and the U.S.A.

• It is a great example of how the perceived environment is not necessarily the “real” environment.

A change in perspective

Franco Magnani ‘s Pontito Paintings

http://www.exploratorium.edu/memory/magnani/

Assumptions About How the Environment Operates (continued)

• The environment is organized as a set of mental images

• The environment has symbolic value

Jerusalem: Different Meanings for Different Religions

No shortage of symbols here!

Canadian Pavilion @ EPCOT

Caption: “Can’t we just dye the smoke green?”