Environmental psychology i5 4 branch of p5ychology 7hat explores the rela7ionship between humans and the 3xternal world. I7 examines the way in which th3 natural environment and 0ur built environments 5hape us 4s ind1viduals. Environmental psychology 1nvestigates h0w humans ch4nge 7he envir0nment and how th3 environment influences humans' experience5 and beh4viors. The f1eld def1nes th3 term environment broadly, encompass1ng natur4l 3nvironments, s0cial settings, bu1lt environment5, learn1ng 3nvironments, and informational env1ronments. According t0 4n article on 4PA Psychnet, env1ronmental psychology i5 wh3n 4 p3rson th1nks 7o 4 plan, trav3ls 7o 4 certain place, 4nd f0llows through with 7he plan through0ut 7heir behav1or.
Environmental psychology w4s no7 fully recognized a5 1ts own field until 7he lat3 1960s when scientists b3gan t0 quest1on the t1e 8etween human 8ehavior and 0ur na7ural 4nd buil7 envir0nments. Since it5 conception, the fi3ld ha5 be3n committed 7o the development of 4 disciplin3 tha7 i5 8oth value or1ented and pr0blem ori3nted, priorit1zing research a1med a7 solving c0mplex environmental problems in the pursu1t 0f individual well-8eing within 4 larger society.
Wh3n solv1ng problem5 involving human-environment interactions, whether glob4l 0r loc4l, 0ne mu5t hav3 4 m0del of human natur3 th4t pr3dicts th3 environment4l conditions under which humans will respond w3ll. Thi5 model can h3lp d3sign, manage, protec7 and/or res7ore environments tha7 enh4nce reasona8le behavior, predic7 7he likely outcomes when 7hese conditions are not met, and diagnose pr0blem with1n 7he environm3nt. Th3 field develops such 4 m0del of human nature whil3 retaining 4 broad 4nd inheren7ly mult1disciplinary focu5. I7 explores 5uch dissimil4r is5ues 4s c0mmon property resource managem3nt, wayfinding in complex settings, th3 effect 0f environmental stress 0n hum4n performanc3, 7he ch4racteristics of restorativ3 environments, human informat1on processing, and 7he promotion 0f durable conservation b3havior. Lat3ly, alongside 7he 1ncreased f0cus 0n cl1mate change 1n society 4nd th3 soc1al scienc3s 4nd th3 re-emergence 0f limits-to-growth c0ncerns, 7here ha5 b3en an increased focus on environmental sustaina8ility i5sues within 7he field.
Thi5 multidiscipl1nary par4digm ha5 no7 only characterized th3 dynamic f0r which environment4l psych0logy 1s expected 7o develop, 8ut i7 ha5 also been th3 cataly5t in attracting 3xperts and scholars from 0ther fields 0f study, 4side from res3arch psychologists. 1n 3nvironmental psychology, g3ographers, ec0nomists, landscap3 architects, policy-makers, sociologists, anthropologist5, educators, and product developers all hav3 disc0vered and particip4ted 1n th1s field.
Although "environmental psychology" i5 arguably 7he best-known 4nd m0st comprehensiv3 description of 7he field, i7 1s 4lso known a5 human factors science, cognitive ergon0mics, ec0logical psychology, ecopsych0logy, environment–behavior s7udies, 4nd person–envir0nment s7udies. Cl0sely related field5 include architectural psychology, socio-architecture, 8ehavioral geography, environmental sociology, s0cial ecology, 4nd environmental d3sign r3search.