L4 lecture for Psychology students. Raising the profile of environmental psychology one step at a time:)

1. Introducing
Environmental
Psychology
The relationships
between people
and their physical
surroundings
Dr Jenna Condie
@jennacondie
#enviropsych

2. Intended learning outcome:
By attending and participating in this session,
you will be able to:
•recognise the importance and potential of
environmental psychology
Just the one
#enviropsych

3. #enviropsych
Flickr: University of Salford
Where did
environmental
psychology
come from?
“Decent housing for the
new urban working classes,
who lived crowded in
subhuman conditions, as
Engels (1845) had
denounced a century
before, became one of the
problems calling for an
urgent solution”
(Pol, 2006a, p. 100).
Bomb damage to Ardwick Street
12 October 1941
Flickr: Bolton Museum & Archive Service
Film footage of Salford in the 1960s
University of Salford Archive

4. #enviropsych
Flickr: @andymatthews
‘Architectural
psychology’
Flickr: N Pearson Photography
Designing buildings to
facilitate human well-being
“was officially born”
(Steg et al., 2013, p.4)
Focused on the
built environment
For an overview of the history of environmental psychology and the
‘founding fathers’, see Pol (2006a) and (2006b)

5. #enviropsych
Environmental psychology has evolved!
7 Key Themes
1960s/1970s
•Environmental
•problems
–
–
–
–
–
–
Pollution
Climate
change
Nature
Deforestation
Ecosystems
(See Gifford, 2007, p. 201)

6. Flickr: Thoth, God of Knowledge
Environmental psychology can be defined as
“the discipline that studies the interplay between
individuals and their built and natural environments”
Towards
a
Green
Psychology
The
Psychology
of
Sustainability
See Steg et al., (2013) An Introduction to Environmental Psychology,
(quote from p. 2)

7. Flickr: Pimlico Badger
Flickr: Richard Carter
What should be done with this building?
What should be done with this building?
How can we change travel behaviours?
How can we change travel behaviours?
Flickr: practicalowl
Flickr: manchesterfoe
How can recycling be improved?
How can recycling be improved?
Why do we even care?
Why do we even care?

8. Flickr: pattyequalsawesome
Environments
are places
Home is
where the
heart is?
Home
Place
Identity
Places are
“doubly
constructed”
Place
Attachment
(Gieryn, 2002, p. 465)
Belonging

9. Climate Change,
Adaptation and Mitigation
Link
How do we adapt?
How will we adapt?
How can we mitigate
the effects of
global warming?
Link
A lived ideology that
“people can get used to almost
anything”
(Weinstein, 1982, p. 87)

10. Behaviour Change
Climate change, sustainable
development, and behaviour
change strategies and
interventions dominate
government agendas
(Uzzell & Moser, 2009)
For more, see: Journal of Environmental Psychology
Tumblr: peterfromtexas [GIF]
DO THEY?

11. Environmental psychology as growing…
Environment and
psychology
are flexible
concepts
Sustainability consultant
Carbon consultant
Energy Manager
Conservation Work
‘Create a career protecting the planet’: see APA guide
APA Division 34
Also CUNY
Graduate Centre
for environmental
Psychology
MSc Environmental Psychology
University of Surrey
Link

12. Introducing
Environmental
Psychology
The relationships
between people
and their physical
surroundings
Dr Jenna Condie
@jennacondie
#enviropsych