ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY AND HUMAN BEHAVIOUR

Abstract

Environmental psychology studies the dynamic and mutual relationship between humans, their physical, social and natural environments. With the 21st century marked by urbanization, loss of flora and fauna, pollution of air, water bodies, land and food leading to public health crisis and climate change, it becomes utterly imperative to comprehend how environments shape human emotions, cognition and behaviour. On the other hand, it is equally important to appreciate human agencies as an impacting force on environments. This domain offers a crucial interdisciplinary perspective for addressing the pressing issues in current time, including environmental justice, sustainable development and human-centric urban designing. The science acknowledges that behavioral phenomena do not happen in isolation, but rather take place within complex and dynamic social, physical and cultural environments that at the same time constantly mold perception, action and emotional experience. Environmental psychology, however, came about as the result of there being more appropriate explanations for real-world behavior than those provided by traditional psychological models, which were often conducted in a laboratory setting. Drawing an interdisciplinary lens on elements of architecture, public health and ecology, as well as social sciences, environmental psychology will help define actionable pathways toward creating environments that will support psychological welfare, social bonding and sustainability in current era.