1. Introduction to Environmental Psychology

2. Content
1. Origin of environmental psychology
2. Perception
a. seeing
b. gestalt
c. depth
3. Effects of the environment on us
a. place attachment
b. place identity
c. territoriality
d. personal space
e. crowding
f. privacy

3. 1. Introduction
2 directions led to environmental psychology
- from psychology (limitation of experimental settings)
- from architecture (designing for a specific outcome)
“A sense that architecture was a system with no feedback and psycholo-
gists wanted to get the users involved”

4. 1. Introduction
Different viewpoints from laypersons, psychologists
and architects also result in badly formulated ques-
tions for the other groups
Desire to solve real world problems

5. 1. Introduction
4 ways of looking at the world:
a. Deterministic
b. Interactional
c. Organismic
d. Transactional

6. 1. Introduction
a. Deterministic
relationship between the person and environment is
causal
if this is the case,
then that happens

7. 1. Introduction
b. Interactional
Focus on combination of person and environment
if this is the case,
then there is a possibility that that happens.

8. 1. Introduction
c. Organismic
relationship between the person and environment is part
of a whole
if this is the case,
then there is a possibility that that happens,
which influences the rest of the system,
either moving to or from the ideal end state
Memories
associations
preferences

9. 1. Introduction
d. Transactional
relationship between the person and environment is part
of a whole
There is no ideal end state
change and time are defining features of the system
Memories
associations
preferences
Today

10. 1. Introduction
But, we first need to perceive the environment in or-
der to move around

11. 2. Perception
Information comes in through the senses:
smell touch pain sound vision taste

12. 2. Perception Vision
Goal ->
identify meaningful objects and ac-
tivities
seeing forms and patterns
visual system - image

13. 2. Perception Vision
objects are defined by contours ->
edges or borders
changes in brightness or colour from
the background

14. brain enhances contrast of borders ->
lighter near dark border,
darker near light border.
2. Perception Vision

15. “ The whole is different from the sum of
its parts. ”
the whole is defined by the way the
parts are organised
Built in rules for organising el-
ements into wholes ->
6 rules
2. Perception Gestalt

16. Proximity
2. Perception Gestalt

17. Similarity
2. Perception Gestalt

18. Closure
2. Perception Gestalt

19. Good continuation
2. Perception Gestalt

20. Common movement
2. Perception Gestalt

21. Good form
(simple, uncluttered, symmetrical, regular, predict-
able)
2. Perception Gestalt

22. Figure ground
usually circum-
scribed is seen
as object,
circumscribing as
background
2. Perception Gestalt

23. Pictorial cues:
occlusion
relative image size for familiar
objects
linear perspective (convergence)
texture gradient (decrease in size
and spacing)
position relative to horizon
differential lighting
of surfaces
2. Perception Depth
Motion parallax

24. effects/ease of perceiving nature &
fractal like environments
3 theories:
Attention restoration
(kaplan & kaplan)
being away - fascination -
extent - compatibility
Biophilia (Wilson)
Fractality (based on Mandelbrot)
2. Perception Environment

25. source of all info about the environment
not a sensation but a filtering process
involves processing complex & often meaningful stimuli
cannot perceive everything
lecture affordances:
what is there to see, not how things look
2. Perception Concluding

26. Environmental stress -> too many stimuli
Behaviour constraints -> walls, locks, height, fences
Behaviour settings -> culture, predefined rules
Environmental restoration -> extent, nature
Aesthetic preferences -> culturally based, learned
Stereotyping -> associations between persons & environment
Place attachment, place identity -> memories & personal identity
Territoriality, personal space -> control personal boundaries
Crowding, privacy -> defensible space -> marking, control
3. Effects on us Environment

27. (place) Identity
Identity can be approached from the individual or group
level.
Which identity-role is important directs behaviour
When a place becomes part of your identity ->
“I am a city-person” “I am a TU-Delft student”
3. Effects on us Place identity

28. Place identity
Place reflects on the person’s identity, and the person
might see oneself different based on the place.
Identity process theory (Breakwell)& place:
distinctiveness
continuity
self esteem
self efficacy
3. Effects on us Place identity

29. Place attachment
Usually positive emotional
bonds to physical and so-
cial settings that support
identity and provide other
psychological benefits.
3. Effects on us Place attachment

30. Place attachment
Space vs. place
Space is the physical environment, where place is the
meaning people attach to that space
5 aspects of place attachment:
sense of security
autonomy
appropriation
stimulation
congruence
3. Effects on us Place attachment

31. Territoriality
A self-other boundary regulation
mechanism that involves
personalisation of or marking of a place
or object, and communication that it
is ‘owned’ by a person or group.
contrary to personal space the
boundary is physical and more or
less constant.
3. Effects on us Territoriality
Personalisation and ownership are designed to regulate
social interaction and to help satisfy various social
and physical motives.

32. Territoriality
3 types of territory:
Primary - the space is owned
Secondary - control of the space is likely to change
Public - first come, first served
Which space is which type of territory depends on per-
ception of the person -> not necessarily equal for
everyone
3. Effects on us Territoriality

33. Personal space
An invisible boundary surrounding a person’s body into
which intruders may not come.
It has three aspects:
a portable territory
a spacing mechanism
a communication channel.
3. Effects on us Personal space

34. Personal space
personal space is influenced by:
gender
religion
age
personality
physical setting
culture
language
seating arrangements
3. Effects on us Personal space

35. Crowding
A personally defined subjective feeling that too many
people are around. It is different from density in that
density is an objective measure of the number of people
per unit area. Crowding is thought to be more related
to proximity of others than density.
3. Effects on us Crowding

36. Crowding
is influenced by:
- locus of control
- culture
- gender
- presence and behaviours of others nearby
- group formation
- quality of relationships
- provision of information on density
- architectural variations (long corridors)
- sociofugal situations
3. Effects on us Crowding

37. Privacy
A dynamic process involving selective control over a
self-boundary which changes over time and settings.
- desired privacy & achieved privacy
If both are the same the level
of privacy is optimal.
functions of privacy:
1. personal autonomy (self-worth, independence)
2. emotional release (relax from social roles)
3. self-evaluation (process of self esteem)
4. limited and protected communication
3. Effects on us Privacy

38. Privacy
Behavioural mechanisms:
- verbal
- personal space
- rules about territory, possessions
- cultural norms
- eye contact
Designing for privacy:
responsive environments that allow for flexible move-
ment between separateness and togetherness (leaving a
door open)
3. Effects on us Privacy

39. concluding
3. Effects on us Concluding

40. No simple solutions
The environment affects us in multiple and diverse ways
and we affect the environment in diverse ways.
The real question is how to design environments that do
not determine, but facilitate behaviours that we never
thought of.
Concluding

41. Enjoy the lecture series
and get inspired!