The Influence Of The Physical Environment On Behavior

The purpose of this volume is to explore theory, problem formulation, and methodology in "experiencing the environment. " In this embryonic field, the writings of a number of individuals already stand out as representative of dis tinctive viewpoints. In order to facilitate further development of the field, a conference! was proposed to gather in one place representatives of a number of major viewpoints with regard to the embryonic field of "environmental psychology. " It was hoped that a colloquy among such representatives would facilitate a clarification of the similarities and differences between the various perspectives, and might enable proponents of any given point of view to benefit from the insights of others with different orientations. Hopefully, it might also promote a greater articulation for this emerging field of inquiry. With these ends in mind, the sponsors of the conference asked the various prospective participants to present their theoretical positions and representative research illustrative of those positions. Some of the perspectives represented at the conference emphasized the point that the construal of phenomena depends heavily on the values and needs of perceivers. Implicit in this kind of position is the thesis that anyone who seeks to describe a complex happening is likely to shape it in terms of presup positions, biases, etc. , that may not be shared by others.

The United States is among the wealthiest nations in the world, but it is far from the healthiest. Although life expectancy and survival rates in the United States have improved dramatically over the past century, Americans live shorter lives and experience more injuries and illnesses than people in other high-income countries. The U.S. health disadvantage cannot be attributed solely to the adverse health status of racial or ethnic minorities or poor people: even highly advantaged Americans are in worse health than their counterparts in other, "peer" countries. In light of the new and growing evidence about the U.S. health disadvantage, the National Institutes of Health asked the National Research Council (NRC) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to convene a panel of experts to study the issue. The Panel on Understanding Cross-National Health Differences Among High-Income Countries examined whether the U.S. health disadvantage exists across the life span, considered potential explanations, and assessed the larger implications of the findings. U.S. Health in International Perspective presents detailed evidence on the issue, explores the possible explanations for the shorter and less healthy lives of Americans than those of people in comparable countries, and recommends actions by both government and nongovernment agencies and organizations to address the U.S. health disadvantage.

The field of "Environment-and-Behavior" This bibliography is aimed at the researcher and advanced student working in the field of environmental psychology, as it has come to be designated over the past decade. A more appropriate term might be "environment-behavior studies," to suggest the important characteristic of this field as one that transcends the province of the psychologist, and brings together workers, as well as problems, methods, and concepts from a great diversity of disciplines and professional fields. Among these we may include geography and sociology, architecture, landscape architecture and planning, forestry, natural resource management and leisure and recreation research -- to name only the most important of the diverse fields from which material for this bibliography has been drawn. This is in fact one of the primary reasons for our belief in the value of such a volume. The literature in the environment-behavior field is scattered through the most diverse sources, including not only the major periodical and monographic literature in each of the above-mentioned disciplines and professions (and others as well), but also a variety of more specialized publications of varying degrees of accessibility. Thus it seemed to us helpful to the researcher, teacher and student in this area to bring this far-flung literature together in a single volume, that might be used as a guide to the field. We aimed at a comprehensive treatment, including both basic and applied aspects, and relations of behavior both to the man-made or artificial and to the natural environment.

Adolescence is a time when youth make decisions, both good and bad, that have consequences for the rest of their lives. Some of these decisions put them at risk of lifelong health problems, injury, or death. The Institute of Medicine held three public workshops between 2008 and 2009 to provide a venue for researchers, health care providers, and community leaders to discuss strategies to improve adolescent health.

This book looks at how the physical environment of work shapes organizational behaviour, demonstrating that our physical surroundings at work can have a big influence on employee productivity, performance and wellbeing. Drawing upon the latest research, Organizational Behaviour and the Physical Environment provides comprehensive coverage of the different aspects of the physical environment at work – the buildings, furnishings, equipment, lighting, air quality and their configurations. From theories of psychological ownership and work design, to cultural issues and technology in the workplace, its international range of contributors provide voices from Australasia, North America, Europe and the Middle East. This book will be invaluable supplementary reading for advanced students, researchers and practitioners across the fields of organizational behaviour, HRM, organizational and environmental psychology, and workspace design.

Essay from the year 2012 in the subject Sociology - Basics and General, grade: 4.0, University of Ghana, Legon, course: Archaeology and the Natural Environment, language: English, abstract: The natural environment is the phenomenon of all natural things that encompasses humanity. This means that the natural environment entails all living and non-living things which occur naturally on earth without the influence of human beings. The natural environment includes the Physical environment and the Biological environment. The physical environment entails all physical features occurring naturally on earth. It includes the atmosphere (layer of gases surrounding the earth), hydrosphere (liquid component of the earth) and lithosphere (solid layer covering the earth). The biological environment includes the natural biological factors as in animals, plants and bacteria that affect human life in a particular place or period. According to Wikipedia, human behaviour on the other hand refers to the range of actions or attitudes exhibited by humans. This means that every action, speech, gestures and mannerisms employed by humans consist of our human behavior. Human behaviour is influenced by our culture, emotions and the natural environment. As the culture of a particular society influences the conduct or behaviour of an individual, so does the natural environment also influences human behaviour. It does influence the human behaviour because even the water, climate, soil, animals and plants we interact with do affect our attitude towards life and at times influence our cultural traits. The natural environment has influenced human behavior from the beginning of humankind up till the present. It has influenced us in our behaviour towards our food, shelter, clothing, vocabulary acquisition and ideology.

Social problems in many domains, including health, education, social relationships, and the workplace, have their origins in human behavior. The documented links between behavior and social problems have compelled governments and organizations to prioritize and mobilize efforts to develop effective, evidence-based means to promote adaptive behavior change. In recognition of this impetus, The Handbook of Behavior Change provides comprehensive coverage of contemporary theory, research, and practice on behavior change. It summarizes current evidence-based approaches to behavior change in chapters authored by leading theorists, researchers, and practitioners from multiple disciplines, including psychology, sociology, behavioral science, economics, philosophy, and implementation science. It is the go-to resource for researchers, students, practitioners, and policy makers looking for current knowledge on behavior change and guidance on how to develop effective interventions to change behavior.

“Esther Sternberg is a rare writer—a physician who healed herself...With her scientific expertise and crystal clear prose, she illuminates how intimately the brain and the immune system talk to each other, and how we can use place and space, sunlight and music, to reboot our brains and move from illness to health.”—Gail Sheehy, author of Passages Does the world make you sick? If the distractions and distortions around you, the jarring colors and sounds, could shake up the healing chemistry of your mind, might your surroundings also have the power to heal you? This is the question Esther Sternberg explores in Healing Spaces, a look at the marvelously rich nexus of mind and body, perception and place. Sternberg immerses us in the discoveries that have revealed a complicated working relationship between the senses, the emotions, and the immune system. First among these is the story of the researcher who, in the 1980s, found that hospital patients with a view of nature healed faster than those without. How could a pleasant view speed healing? The author pursues this question through a series of places and situations that explore the neurobiology of the senses. The book shows how a Disney theme park or a Frank Gehry concert hall, a labyrinth or a garden can trigger or reduce stress, induce anxiety or instill peace. If our senses can lead us to a “place of healing,” it is no surprise that our place in nature is of critical importance in Sternberg’s account. The health of the environment is closely linked to personal health. The discoveries this book describes point to possibilities for designing hospitals, communities, and neighborhoods that promote healing and health for all.