| CODE | PSY3617 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Environmental Psychology | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Psychology | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This introductory study-unit in the field of Environmental Psychology focuses on the psychological aspects of interdependent relationship between humans and the environment. This relationship may be categorised under three main topic areas: - Key concepts and theories; - The built environment; and, - The natural environment. The main aim is to develop an introductory-level understanding of the field and includes the following objectives: - Understanding and appreciating the theoretical and research base underpinning this field; - Developing a basic understanding as to practical data collation from an environmental setting; and, - Discussing and reporting of key issues. Tentative Study-unit Outline: The following is a list of topics: Theoretical Base - Perception and Cognition; - Personality and Environment; - Personal Space, Territoriality and Crowding. Built Environment - Cities and Regions; - Pollution and Behaviour; - Educational Environmental Psychology; - Residential Environmental Psychology; - Workplace Environmental Psychology. Natural Environment - Weather and Climate; - Wind and Noise. Emergent Issues - The Commons Dilemma; - Environmental Positive Strategies; - Education and Environment. - Biophilic living; - ¸£ÀûÔÚÏßÃâ·Ñ and Communication Technologies and Environments; - Environmental Restoration; - Health, Well-Being and Open Space; - Urban Sustainability; - Encouraging Pro-Environmental Behaviour. Study-Unit Aims: - To help students understand the relationship between human behaviour and the physical environment; - To examine how environmental factors influence individuals’’ mental health, wellbeing, and social interactions; - To explore theoretical frameworks and models used to analyse environmental behaviour and design; - To develop skills in assessing environmental impacts on human populations and vice-versa; - To apply principles of environmental psychology to the planning and design of sustainable, healthy, and effective physical environment; - To foster critical thinking about the social, cultural, and ethical implications of environmental design and policy; - To promote awareness of the role of environmental psychology in addressing contemporary environmental challenges such as climate change, urbanisation, and conservation. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Comprehend key theories and principles related to environmental psychology, such as environmental perception, behaviour, and design; - Analysing human-environment interactions: • Assess how physical environment influence human behaviour, wellbeing, and decision- making. - Research Skills Development: • Design, conduct, and interpret psychological research related to environmental issues. - Application of Knowledge: • Apply environmental psychology theories to real-world problems, such as urban planning, sustainable design, and conservation efforts. - Critical Thinking: • Critically evaluate environmental policies and interventions from a psychological perspective. - Interdisciplinary Awareness: • Recognise the importance of integrating psychology with environmental sciences, design, policy, and sociology. - Communication Skills: • Effectively communicate research findings and proposals related to environmental psychology to diverse audiences. - Ethical and Cultural Awareness: • Consider ethical issues and cultural diversity in environmental psychology, research and practice. A set of knowledge outcomes for Environmental Psychology: - Understand Core Concepts: • Demonstrate an understanding of key theories, models, and frameworks in environmental psychology; • Identify major historical developments and contributors to the field. - Human-Environment Interaction: • Explain how physical environments influence human behaviour, cognition, and well-being; • Describe the reciprocal relationship between human behaviour and the built and natural environments. - Environmental perception and cognition: • Describe how individuals perceive, evaluate, and mentally represent environments; • Explain factors that influence environmental preferences and place attachment. - Application to Urban and Architectural Design: • Analyse the psychological impacts of urban planning, architecture, and interior design; • Apply environmental psychology principles to improve design outcomes in public and private spaces. - Sustainable Behaviour and Environmental Attitudes: • Understand psychological factors underlying pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours; • Evaluate strategies to promote sustainability and behaviour change through environmental design and policy. - Environmental Stress and Well-being: • Identify environmental stressors (eg. noise, crowding, pollution) and their psychological effects; • Evaluate mitigation strategies that enhance psychological resilience and well-being. - Research Methods in Environmental Psychology: • Understand and critically evaluate qualitative and quantitative research methods used in environmental psychology; • Interpret empirical findings and assess the methodological soundness of studies. - Cross-cultural and Social Equity Issues: • Recognise cultural, social, and economic factors that influence human-environment interactions; • Discuss issues of environmental justice and access to the healthy environments. - Applied Environmental Problem-Solving: • Apply environmental psychology principles to real-world problems such as climate change, urban sprawl, and natural disaster response; • Develop evidence-based recommendations for environmental policy, planning, or design. - Ethical Considerations: • Demonstrate awareness of ethical issues in environmental psychology research and practice; • Discuss the role of environmental psychologists in promoting social responsibility and sustainability. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Critical Thinking and Analysis: • Interpret and critique research studies in environmental psychology using evidence-based reasoning; • Identify and assess environmental factors that influence human behaviour and psychological well-being; • Evaluate the psychological impacts of different environments using theoretical and empirical tools. - Research and Inquiry: • Design and conduct basic environmental psychology research using qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods; • Collect and analyse environmental and behavioural data (eg. observational studies, surveys, spatial mapping); • Apply appropriate ethical standards in the design and implementation of environmental psychology research. - Application to Design and Policy: • Translate psychological insights into practical recommendations for environmental design, planning, and policy; • Collaborate with designers, planners, or community members to integrate human-centred considerations into built environments; • Assess the effectiveness of environmental interventions (eg. green spaces, noise control, wayfinding systems). - Communication and Collaboration: • Communicate complex psychological concepts clearly to interdisciplinary audiences including policymakers, architects, and the public; • Present research findings and environmental assessments in written, oral, or visual formats (eg. reports, presentations, infographics); • Work collaboratively in diverse teams to address real-world environmental psychology problems. - Personal and Civic Responsibility: • Reflect on personal values, attitudes, and behaviours in relation to environmental sustainability and responsibility; • Demonstrate awareness of environmental justice issues, including equity in access to healthy environments; • Advocate for evidence-based practices that promote environmental and psychological well-being. - Problem Solving and Innovation: • Identify real-world environmental problems and propose creative, research-informed solutions; • Integrate knowledge from psychology, urban planning, and environmental science to solve complex challenges; • Innovate interventions to enhance human interaction with both built and natural environments. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Environmental Psychology: An Introduction (2nd Edition). Editors: Linda Steg, Agnes E. van den Berg, Judith I.M. de Groot. Published: 2018. - Environmental Psychology for Design (4th Edition). Author: Dak Kopec. Published: 2023. - Environmental Psychology. Editors: Mirilia Bonnes, Giuseppe Carrus, Marino Bonaiuto. Published: 2023. Journals for Environmental Psychology: - Journal of Environmental Psychology. - Environment and Behavior. - Frontiers in Psychology – Environmental Psychology Section. - PsyEcology. - Global Environmental Psychology. |
||||||||
| ADDITIONAL NOTES | This study-unit is only offered to students with Psychology as an area of study. | ||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
|
||||||||
| LECTURER/S | Maximilian Cassar |
||||||||
|
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
|||||||||