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Theories in Environmental Psychology

1. Arousal theory examines how arousal levels influence performance, finding that performance is maximized at intermediate arousal levels according to an inverted-U relationship. 2. Changes in the environment like increased temperature, noise levels, and personal space invasions can influence arousal and subsequently impact performance. 3. Stimulus load theory proposes that humans have limited information processing capacities, so when inputs exceed that capacity attention must be selectively allocated, which can influence performance.

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Inshrah Mukhtar
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2K views17 pages

Theories in Environmental Psychology

1. Arousal theory examines how arousal levels influence performance, finding that performance is maximized at intermediate arousal levels according to an inverted-U relationship. 2. Changes in the environment like increased temperature, noise levels, and personal space invasions can influence arousal and subsequently impact performance. 3. Stimulus load theory proposes that humans have limited information processing capacities, so when inputs exceed that capacity attention must be selectively allocated, which can influence performance.

Uploaded by

Inshrah Mukhtar
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Theories in environmental

psychology
AROUSAL THEORY
• Arousal theory have typically been concerned with
the influence of arousal on performance.

• Arousal is the physiological and psychological


state of being awoken or of sense organs
stimulated to a point of perception.

• Generally, performance is maximized at


intermediate levels of arousal but falls off as
arousal is either increased or decreased.
• This relationship, sometimes referred to as an
inverted-U relationship, has been shown to differ
slightly depending on whether performance is
measured on simple or complex tasks and is often
referred to as the Yerkes-Dodson law.

• These relationships are consistent with other


findings that humans tend to seek out intermediate
levels of stimulation.
s
Arousal and temperature
• Performance vary curvilinearly with increase in
temperature

• Increase in ambient temperatures lead to increases in


arousal level. Usually higher arousal leads to
performance enhancement but as it increase further
over-arousal occurs causing performance decrements

• One explanation of these findings is that increases in


ambient temperature lead to increases in arousal
levels.
• i. Temperature Increase ambient temperature
leads to following physiological changes:

• • Blood vessel dilation • Pupil dilation •


perspiration • Increased heart rate

• ii. Extreme conditions: • Lowered blood pressure


• Insufficient oxygen reaching to the brain
Arousal and personal space invasion

Personal space
• Personal space refers to the physical area
surrounding an individual that is considered
personal or private. Typically, when another
person intrudes in this area, the individual
experiences discomfort.

• It has been shown that personal space invasions


lead to increases in arousal and to performance
decrements.
Arousal and Noise

• Additionally, increases in noise level have been


associated with changes in arousal and
performance.

• Exposure to Noise: • Alters blood pressure,


heart rhythm, flow of gastric juices to the
stomach Arousal and Nervous System
Effects of Arousal

1. Changes in arousal are associated with changes in the environment

2. pleasant as well as unpleasant stimulation increases arousal — that


is, room temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit and loud,
obnoxious noises influence arousal in ways similar to roller-coaster
rides

3. changes in arousal lead people to seek information about their


internal states as well as to seek information from others.

4. people tend to evaluate moderate levels of arousal positively

5. often great expenditures of energy are utilized by individuals to


bring the environment to a level of moderate stimulation
Stimulus Load Theory
Stimulus load theory is the states that humans
have a limited capacity to process information.
When inputs exceed that capacity, people tend to
ignore some inputs and devote more attention to
others.
• For example, while driving during rush-hour
traffic a great deal of attention is paid to the cars,
trucks, buses, and road signs around us and less
attention is paid to the commentator on the car
radio, the kids in the back seat, and the clouds in
the sky.
• If the less important stimuli tend to interfere
with the task at hand, then ignoring them will
enhance performance, (e.g., ignoring the
children's fighting will make you a better and
safer rush hour driver.

• If, however, the less important stimuli are


important to the task at hand, then performance
will not be optimal; for example, ignoring the
road signs because you are attending to the more
important trucks, cars, etc., may lead you thirty
miles out of your way in getting home.
• Once attentional capacities have been exhausted
even small demands for attention can be
draining. Thus, behavioral aftereffects including
errors in judgment, decreased tolerance for
frustration, ignoring others in need of help, and
the like, can be accounted for by these theories.

• For example, the exhausted rush-hour driver


eventually might reach the point where he or she
doesn't notice the traffic light turn from red to
green (or worse yet, from green to yellow to red),
even though this is a very important stimulus.
Behavior Constraint Theory
• Behavior constraint theory focus on the real, or
perceived, limitations imposed on the organism
by the environment.

• According to this theory, the environment can


prevent, interfere with, or limit the behaviors of
its inhabitants (Rodin & Baum, 1978; Stokols,
1978).
• Friday afternoon rush-hour traffic interferes with rapid commuting;
loud, intermittent noises limit effective communication; over-
regimentation in hospitals can interfere with recovery, excessively high
ambient temperatures prevent extreme physical exertion, and
extremely cold temperatures limit finger dexterity.

• In a sense, these theories deal with situations where persons either


actually lose some degree of control over their environment, or they
perceive that they have.

• Brehm and Brehm (1981) assert that when we feel that we have lost
control over the environment, we first experience discomfort and then
attempt to reassert our control. They label this phenomenon
psychological reactance.
• People begin to feel as though their behavior has
no effect on the environment. They begin to
believe they no longer control their own destiny,
and that what happens to them is out of their
personal control.
• These feelings can eventually lead to clinical
depression, and in the most extreme form can
lead people to give up on life, and to die.
• Behavior constraint theories thus emphasize
those factors (physical as well as psychological;
real as well as imaginary) associated with the
environment that limits human action.

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