Handbook of Environmental Psychology and Quality of Life Research

Handbook of Environmental Psychology and Quality of Life Research
Author: Ghozlane Fleury-Bahi
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 567
Release: 2016-08-12
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 3319314165

This Handbook presents a broad overview of the current research carried out in environmental psychology which puts into perspective quality of life and relationships with living spaces, and shows how this original analytical framework can be used to understand different environmental and societal issues. Adopting an original approach, this Handbook focuses on the links with other specialties in psychology, especially social and health psychology, together with other disciplines such as geography, architecture, sociology, anthropology, urbanism and engineering. Faced with the problems of society which involve the quality of life of individuals and communities, it is fundamental to consider the relationships an individual has with his different living spaces. This issue of the links between quality of life and environment is becoming increasingly significant with, at a local level, problems resulting from different types of annoyances, such as pollution and noise, while, at a global level, there is the central question of climate change with its harmful consequences for humans and the planet. How can the impact on well-being of environmental nuisances and threats (for example, natural risks, pollution, and noise) be reduced? How can the quality of life within daily living spaces (home, cities, work environments) be improved? Why is it important to understand the psychological issues of our relationship with the global environment (climatic warming, ecological behaviours)? This Handbook is intended not only for students of various disciplines (geography, architecture, psychology, town planning, etc.) but also for social decision-makers and players who will find in it both theoretical and methodological perspectives, so that psychological and environmental dimensions can be better taken into account in their working practices.

Encouraging Pro-Environmental Behaviour

Encouraging Pro-Environmental Behaviour
Author: Wokje Abrahamse
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 184
Release: 2019-01-23
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 012811360X

Encouraging Pro-Environmental Behavior: What Works, What Doesn't, and Why examines the main drivers of human behavior related to environmental sustainability and how we can encourage environmental behavior change in humans. The book explores the underlying barriers and enablers of environmental behavior and outlines key theoretical advances from psychology to improve understanding. It then uses theory-based research in the development of behavior change interventions to critically evaluate empirical evidence on the effectiveness of those interventions. This book will help inform and improve the success of behavior change initiatives to mitigate climate change. Explores what influences behavior: who conserves and why Includes both theory and practice Focuses on water and energy use, food choice and travel behavior Identifies impacts of incentives and interventions

U.S. Health in International Perspective

U.S. Health in International Perspective
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 421
Release: 2013-04-12
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0309264146

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.

New Tools for Environmental Protection

New Tools for Environmental Protection
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 368
Release: 2002-06-13
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0309169429

Many people believe that environmental regulation has passed a point of diminishing returns: the quick fixes have been achieved and the main sources of pollution are shifting from large "point sources" to more diffuse sources that are more difficult and expensive to regulate. The political climate has also changed in the United States since the 1970s in ways that provide impetus to seek alternatives to regulation. This book examines the potential of some of these "new tools" that emphasize education, information, and voluntary measures. Contributors summarize what we know about the effectiveness of these tools, both individually and in combination with regulatory and economic policy instruments. They also extract practical lessons from this knowledge and consider what is needed to make these tools more effective. The book will be of interest to environmental policy practitioners and to researchers and students concerned with applying social and behavioral sciences knowledge to improve environmental quality.

Urbanization and Environmental Quality

Urbanization and Environmental Quality
Author: I. Orishimo
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 197
Release: 2012-12-06
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9400973926

The purpose of this monograph is to clarify the effect of environmental change on the process of urbanization. The research attempts to uncover the similarities as well as the differences across countries of the charac teristics of environmental effects on cities and metropolitan areas during the process of industrial development. Over the past several decades, a notable behavioral shift has been observed in many developed countries. People appear to be switching from an almost exclusive concern for material (commodity) consumption to a broader set of concerns that includes interest in so-called environ mental problems and in improving the quality of life (USEPA 1973). These new areas of concern include, of course, the problems of pollution, congestion, and, in general, environmental degradation in urban areas. People seem to be becoming increasingly conscious of the physical as well as the social environment. Richard L. Morrill described the situation in the United States as follows: Evidently many are still moving [their residences] for amenity values, into regions they like, irrespective of job opportunities. While movement to the traditional amenity areas of Florida and Arizona continues, there has been a dramatic shift away from California, or from metropolitan areas generally, to xv xvi INTRODUCTION the Pacific Northwest, the Rocky Mountains, upper New England, and even to the Ozarks, Appalachia, and Upper Michigan. [Quoted in Berry and Gillard 1977, p.

Pro-environmental Behaviors

Pro-environmental Behaviors
Author: Kiyo Kurisu
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 176
Release: 2016-01-28
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 4431558349

This book offers a much-needed practical and conceptual guide for various pro-environmental behaviors. Written by an expert in both the environmental psychology and engineering fields, the book presents an overview of various pro-environmental behaviors (Chapter 1), the psychological background of behaviors (Chapters 2 and 3), how to survey and understand pro-environmental behaviors using questionnaires (Chapter 4) and how to know the actual environmental burdens derived by each behavior using life-cycle assessment (LCA) (Chapter 5), and measures to foster the behaviors and selected case studies for practitioners (Chapter 6). Readers will find Chapters 1, 4, and 5 particularly unique and useful; they provide an overview of many environmental behaviors and also the practical academic tools for analyzing environmental behaviors, such as questionnaire procedures, questions lists (“scales” in psychology), statistical tools, software, LCA methodologies, and databases. The book addresses the needs of academics and practitioners and is well suited as a textbook and reference guide for those studying or working in environmental engineering (systematic research), social psychology (environmental psychology), environmental education, and sustainability science. Policymakers will find the questionnaire list useful, as it can help them to grasp citizens’ environmental concerns and actual behaviors. The behavior list and LCA can be used to make manuals or guidelines for citizens to enhance environmental behaviors, and the case studies provide an informative basis for designing programs and workshops for citizens. Although the field of “pro-environmental behaviors” has been intensively dealt with by European researchers, their approaches have largely been limited to psychological viewpoints and program (education) development through small case studies. Further, the target behaviors are often limited to recycling and energy/water savings. In contrast, this book provides the first introduction to pro-environmental behaviors as a whole. As pro-environmental behaviors have become increasingly important not only in developed but also in developing countries, this publication represents a timely resource for the growing number of researchers exploring pro-environment behaviors.

Perceiving Environmental Quality

Perceiving Environmental Quality
Author: Kenneth Craik
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 309
Release: 2013-03-09
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1468428659

The purpose of this publication is to report on a series of research workshops which examined the place of environmental perception in a comprehensive system of indices for assessing and monitoring trends in environmental quality. The specific objectives of the workshops were to: (1) define the state-of-the-art in research on perception of environmental quality and identify salient conceptual and methodological issues; (2) delineate potential uses of perceived environmental quality indices (PEQIs) and related issues regarding ways in which PEQIs might enhance implementation, revision, or refinement of policy orientations; (3) identify the types of research which would assess adequately the efficacy of the development and the application of PEQIs; and (4) out line a realistic, pragmatic research strategy that relates to potential uses and identified policy issues. The workshops were supported by 'a grant from the National Science Foundation, No. GSOC75-0782, and were held during the spring and summer of 1975 in Amherst, Massachusetts, and New York City. Contributed chapters for this volume were commissioned with funds from the Institute for Man and Environment, University of Massachusetts. Scientific contributors to the understanding of environmental per ception have increased substantially over the last decade, along with recognition that this realm of knowledge is crucial for an informed perspective on-the impact of man on the environment. At the same time, there exists general consensus that the field remains diffuse and uncoor dinated (Lowenthal, 1972b).

Applications of Environment-Behavior Research

Applications of Environment-Behavior Research
Author: Paul D. Cherulnik
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 368
Release: 1993-07-30
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 9780521337700

Describes thirteen cases in which architects, city planners and designers used psychological theory and research to make their work more responsive to the needs of people.