Psychology 409, FALL 2004 - Salisbury University



Psychology 409, FALL 2004

Dr. George Whitehead

Overview:

This course will provide you with an introduction to environmental psychology. The aim of the course is to acquaint you with the theories and research of environmental psychologists and to provide you with some laboratory experiences. To this end we will be reading some journal articles as well as the textbook required for the course. The research in this area is voluminous. I have tried to give you a representative sampling of it on this syllabus. The articles and books mentioned will be referred to in lecture. You are responsible for reading all articles with an asterisk. You should read the material before coming to class. Articles, which are marked with an asterisk and are not in your text are on reserve in the library. In addition we will have three different laboratory experiences as a class.

Requirements:

There will be three examinations in this class. The last examination will be the final. My typical exams incorporate both essay and more objective type questions. There will also be a behavior setting survey, and an environmental careers assignment, and three lab reports.

An undergraduate's final grade in this course will be determined as follows:

Exam 1 20%

Exam 2 20%

Exam 3 20%

Lab 1 10%

Lab 2 10%

Lab 3 10%

Environmental Careers Assignment 5%

Behavior Setting Survey 5%

Because this course is made up of both graduate and undergraduate students, the graduate students must be given an additional responsibility. A graduate student must do all of the above and also write a paper, which both summarizes three original experiments and ties them together or a more extensive project that helps the local environment. The three original experiments must be ones not required for class. Your grade on this project is 20% of your final grade.

Environmental Careers Assignment:

Each student will be asked to find and research an organization on the Delmarva Peninsula where students can visit to learn about different environmental issues. It is anticipated that students will select different organizations so that these can be shared with other members of the class and other interested people. Dr. Rebecca Emery from Career Planning & Placement will attend class on September 29, 2004. She will talk with you about what is available through her office to assist you in this project. This experience is designed to get you thinking about future careers. It will be due on October 13, 2004.

Research in Environmental Psychology:

As a class we will have three laboratory experiences. These are designed to enhance your research skills and provide you with a hands-on learning experience in environmental psychology.

Lab one: The first lab is an example of one way of doing research in the field of environmental psychology.

Lab two: The second lab is intended to increase your awareness and understanding of research on crowding.

Lad three: The third lab is designed to answer several questions. These are: Are students happy with their residences? What kinds of things make them happy or unhappy with their residence?

Office Hours:

If you want to speak to me for any reason, my office is Allenwood 503. My office hours are: MWF 1- 3 pm, or by appointment.

Attendance:

Attendance in this course is not mandatory. However, you are responsible for all the work covered in class on exams. There will be no make-up exams. All work is to be handed in on time.

Schedule Adjustment:

Students are responsible for all adjustments to their schedules. All changes such as drops and adds must be made through the Office of the Registrar. Failure to drop a course officially or to withdraw from school officially will result in the issuance of the grade of "F" for all courses involved. Remember, simply stopping your attendance of a class IS NOT an official drop or withdrawal.

Text:

The book you should purchase for this course is:

Gifford, R. (2002) Environmental Psychology: Principles and Practice, 3rd edition. Optional Books.

The following abbreviations are used in this syllabus:

JPSP Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

JESP Journal of Experimental and Social Psychology

EB Environment and Behavior

AB American Psychologist

JAP Journal of Abnormal Psychology

JASP Journal of Applied Social Psychology

JSP Journal of Social Psychology

PSPB Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

PB Psychological Bulletin

Tentative Schedule:

I. Introduction to Environmental Psychology

A. The Nature and Scope of Environmental Psychology- Gifford Chapter l

B. Barker’s Ecological Psychology

*1. Wicker, A.W. (1979). Ecological psychology: Some recent and prospective developments. AP, 34, 755-765

Lab 1

Environmental Perception and Cognition

*A. Gifford, Chapter 2

II. Environmental Attitudes, Appraisals, and Assessments

*A. Gifford, Chapter 3

III. Managing Limited Resources

* A. Gifford, Chapter 14

B. Attitudes and Behaviors

l. Seligman, C., Kriss, M., Darley, J.M., Fazio, R.H., Becker, L.J., & Pryor, J.B. (l979). Predicting summer energy consumption from homeowner's attitudes. JASP, 9, 70-90.

2. Becker, L.J., Seligman, C., Fazio, R.H., and Darley, J.M. (l98l) Relating attitudes to energy use. EB, l3, 590-609.

C. Behaviors

l. Energy Conservation

a. McClelland, L., & Cook, S.W. (l980). Promoting energy conservation in master-metered apartments through group financial incentives. JASP, l0, 20-3l.

b. Pallak, M.S. and Cummings, W. (l976). Commitment and voluntary energy conservation. PSPB, 2, 27-30.

c. Becker, L.J. and Seligman, C. (l978). Reducing air conditioning waste by signaling it is cool outside. PSPB, 4, 4l2-4l5.

d. Gonzales, M.H., Aronson, E., Costanzo, M.A. (l988). Using social cognition and persuasion to promote energy conservation: A quasi-experiment. JASP, l8, l049-l066.

e. McMakin, A.H., Malove, E.L., and Lundgren, R.E. Motivating residents to conserve energy withourt financial incentives EB, 34, 848-863

2. Recycling

a. Burn, S.M. & Oskamp, S. (l986). Increasing community recycling with persuasive communication and public commitment. JASP, l6, 29-4l.

3. Littering

*a. Reich, J.W. & Robertson, J.L. (l979). Reactance and norm appeal in anti-littering messages. JASP, 9, 9l-l0l.

b. Krauss, R.M., Freedman, J.L., and Whitcup, M. (l978). Field and laboratory studies of littering. JESP, l4, l09-l22.

V. Personality and Environmental

A. Gifford, Chapter 4

TEST #1 October 6

VI. Personal Space

A. Gifford, Chapter 5

VII Territoriality

*A. Gifford, Chapter 6

B. Taylor, R.B. and Stough, R.R. (1978). Territorial cognition: Assessing Altman's typology. JPSP, 36, 4l8-423.

C. Vinsel, A., Brown, B., Altman, I. and Foss, C. (l980). Privacy regulation, territorial displays, and effectiveness of individual functioning. JPSP, 39, ll04-lll5.

D. Taylor, R.B. and Lanni, J.C. (1981) Territorial dominance: The influence of the resident advantage in triadic decision making JPSP, 41, 909-915.

Lab # 2

VIII. Crowding

*A. Gifford, Chapter 7

B. Theories of crowding

l. Freedman, J. (l975). Crowding and Behavior. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman.

*2. Worchel, S. and Yohai, S. (l979). The role of attribution in the experiences of crowding. JESP, l5, 9l-l03.

C. Prisons

l. McGain, G., Cox, V., and Paulus, P. (l976). The relationships between illness complaints and degree of crowding in a prison environment. EB, 8, 283-290.

2. Schaeffer, M.A., Baum, A., Paulus, P.B., & Gaes, G.G. (l988). Architecturally mediated effects of social density in prison. EB, 20, 3-l9.

*3. Ruback, R.B. & Innes, C.A. (l988). The relevance and irrelevance of psychological research. AP, 43, 683-693.

D. College Dormitories

1. Baron, R.M., Mandel, D.R., Adams, C.A., and Griffen, L.M. (l976). Effects of social density in university residential environments. JPSP, 34, 434-446.

2. Gormley, F.B. and Aiello, J.R. (l982). Social density, interpersonal relationships, and residential crowding stress. JASP, l2, 222-236.

IX. Privacy

*A. Gifford, Chapter 8

Test # 2 November 10

X. Residential Environmental Psychology

*A. Gifford, Chapter 9

Lab #3

XI. Urban Environmental Psychology

*A. Gifford, Chapter 10

B. Noise experiments.

1. Glass, D.C.& Singer, J.E. (1972). Urban Stress. New York: Academic Press.

2. Cohen, S., Evans, G.,Krantz, D., Strokols, D., & Kelly, S. (1981). Aircraft noise and children: Longitudinal and cross-sectional evidence on adaptation to noise and the effect of noise abatement. JPSP, 40, 331-345.

*3. Evans, G.W.& Maxwell, L. (1997). Chronic noise exposure and reading deficits: The mediating effects of language acquisition. EB, 29, 638-656.

3. White, S.M. & Rotton, J. (1998). Type of Commute, behavioral aftereffects and cardiovascular activity: A field experiments. EB, 30, 763-780.

*5. Gifford, Chapter 11 pp. 340-344

C. Learned Helplessness

1. Seligman’s Theory and Modifications

a. Hiroto, D.S., & Seligman, M.E.P. (1975) Generality of learned helplessness. JPSP. 31. 311-327.

*b. Frankel, A.& Snyder, M.L. (1978). Poor performance following unsolvable problems: Learned helplessness or egotism? JPSP, 36, 1415-1423.

c. Rodin, J. and Langer, E.J. (1977). Long-term effects of a control-relevant intervention with the institutionalized aged. JPSP, 35, 8797-902.

*d. Schulz, R. and Hanusa, B.H. (1978). Long-term effects of control and predictability enhancing interventions: Findings and ethical issues. JPSP, 36, 1194-1201.

D. Relevant research to Milgram’s experience of living in cities.

*1. Steblay, N.M. (1987). Helping behavior in rural and urban environments: A meta-analysis. PB, 102, 346-356.

E. Helping

1. Some general models

b. Latane and Darley, J.M. (1969). Bystander apathy. American Scientist, 57, 244-268.

c. Piliavin, I.A., Rodin, J., Pilivan, J.A. (1969). Good samaritanism: An underground phenomenon? JPSP, 13, 289-299.

XII. Natural Environmental Psychology

*A. Gifford, Chapter 13

B. Temperature

1. Anderson, C.A., Bushman, B.J.& Groom, R.W. (1997). Hot years and serious deadly assaults: Empirical tests of the heat hypothesis. JPSP, 73, 1213-1223.

*2.Cohn, E.G. & Rotton, J. (1997). Assault as a function of time and temperature: A moderator-variable time-series analysis. JPSP, 72, 1322- 1334.

C. Full Moon

1. Rotton, J.,& Kelly, I.W. (1995). Much ado about the full moon: A meta- analysis of lunar-lunacy research. PB, 97, 286-306.

Test#3 Thursday, December 16 1-3 p.m.

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