The Importance Of Environmental Psychology

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1. As the textbook provides, environmental psychology is the study of how people are affected by their surroundings…their environment. This environment can be surroundings such as a person’s home, workplace, neighborhood, shopping center, town, school, or even the city park. It can be the crowded NYC subway or the quiet Lady Bird Park. Without realizing it, people are affected by their environment every single day. Christmas music playing throughout the mall may cause the last-minute shopper to feel a sense of joy as memories of childhood Christmases fill her mind. Alternatively, that same music may infuriate and annoy said last-minute shopper. The crowded subway may cause a new mother to feel nervous. Whereas, the peaceful park may cause …show more content…
The use of “mutual” leads me to believe that this statement indicates people and the environment are dependent upon each other…they are not separate entities independent of each other and merely engaging with each other from time to time. Instead, it seems this statement implies people and the environment are two halves of one unit, contributing to a relationship that is mutually dependent upon each other. It is this mutually dependent interaction that affects people and their surroundings. The actions of people directly influence the environment and the actions of the environment directly influence people. The cliché phrase of “give and take” comes to mind as I reflect upon this statement. We feed off the environment and vice versa. Our surroundings have the power to affect and control our thoughts, beliefs, behavior, and actions. In return, our thoughts, beliefs, behavior, and actions have the power to affect our surroundings. Global warming would be a perfect example of how people directly influence the environment and in return, said environment directly influences …show more content…
Stimulation theories consider one’s surroundings (physical environment) as a vital source of sensory information. Such theories provide that cues derived from the environment such as noise, light, smell, temperature, etc...can stimulate one’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Such stimulation can differ significantly in that it can vary in its frequency, intensity, and duration. Further, such stimulation can differ significantly in that one person may interpret said stimulation differently than another person. There are five stimulation-related theories that focus on such differences and the resulting effect on people. Adaption-level theory provides that people adapt to environmental stimulation. This theory suggests the level of environmental stimulation that positively affects one person while at work may negatively affect the same person while at home. This theory suggests that people adapt to their surroundings and dependent upon their interpretation at the time, the environment has the ability to affect people differently. Overload theory focuses on overstimulation and how it affects people. Restricted environmental stimulation theory centers on how too little stimulation influences people. Stress theories concentrate on the effects of stimulation that surpasses a person’s ability to adapt. Finally, phenomenology centers on precise consideration in defining and interpreting one’s surroundings. Once a meaning has been attached to a specific place, it affects a

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