Slides PSYC11-107
Subject Curriculum
Week 1
Introduction to Environmental Psychology
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An overview of environmental psychology, including its historical foundations, core concepts, and the central person–environment relationship.
Subject Learning Outcomes
- Explain key theories, concepts, and the history of environmental psychology.
- Describe how people and physical environments influence each other.
- Recognise how environmental psychology connects to broader issues in health, design, and society.
Week 2
Research Methods in Environmental Psychology
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Introduction to observational studies, surveys, experiments, and field research used to study person–environment interaction.
Subject Learning Outcomes
- Critically evaluate observational, experimental, and field based methods.
- Discuss ecological validity and ethical issues in studying real environments.
Week 3
Perception, Cognition, and Navigation of Environments
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How people perceive layout, form cognitive maps, and navigate through everyday environments.
Subject Learning Outcomes
- Explain how spatial perception and cognitive mapping support navigation.
- Relate navigation processes to the design of supportive environments.
Week 4
Personal Space, Territoriality, and Privacy
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How people regulate interpersonal distance, mark territory, and manage privacy in shared spaces.
Subject Learning Outcomes
- Describe concepts of personal space, crowding, territoriality, and privacy.
- Relate these concepts to design choices in homes, workplaces, and public environments.
Week 5
Environmental Stress and Human Wellbeing
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Effects of noise, air pollution, crowding, and temperature on psychological and physiological stress and health.
Subject Learning Outcomes
- Identify major environmental stressors and their impacts on health.
- Explain how individuals appraise and cope with environmental stress.
Week 6
Restorative Environments and Attention Restoration
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How natural and biophilic environments support recovery from stress and mental fatigue.
Subject Learning Outcomes
- Describe theories of restoration and attention recovery.
- Apply these ideas to the design of supportive and nature rich environments.
Week 7
Urban Design, Architecture, and Human Behavior
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How buildings, streets, and public spaces shape perception, movement, social interaction, and wellbeing.
Subject Learning Outcomes
- Explain how built environments influence behaviour and experience.
- Use psychological principles to reflect on examples of good and poor design.
Week 8
Sustainable Behaviour I: Psychological Foundations and Barriers
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Psychological roots of sustainable and unsustainable behaviour, including beliefs, habits, and perceived control.
Subject Learning Outcomes
- Explain why environmental problems can feel abstract or distant.
- Identify cognitive and social barriers to sustainable action.
Week 9
Sustainable Behaviour II: Strategies, Interventions, and Applications
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Evidence based strategies to promote sustainable behaviour at individual, community, and policy levels.
Subject Learning Outcomes
- Evaluate behaviour change interventions and nudges.
- Integrate psychological principles into sustainability campaigns and programs.
Week 10
Environmental Justice and Equity
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How environmental risks and benefits are unevenly distributed across communities and what this means for justice.
Subject Learning Outcomes
- Describe environmental justice and related concepts.
- Recognise how social, economic, and cultural factors shape exposure to environmental risks.
Week 11
Psychology of Wilderness and Extreme Environments
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Human adaptation to remote and extreme settings such as polar regions, deep sea missions, deserts, and space.
Subject Learning Outcomes
- Explain psychological demands of extreme and isolated environments.
- Relate these contexts to core concepts in environmental psychology.
Week 12
Review and Future Directions in Environmental Psychology
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Integration of key themes from the subject and discussion of emerging directions in environmental psychology.
Subject Learning Outcomes
- Summarise major frameworks and findings covered in the subject.
- Reflect on how environmental psychology can inform real world practice and policy.