Journal of Environmental Psychology最新文献

{"title":"Stairs as multifunctional spaces: Cortical responses to environmental affordances incorporate the intention to act","authors":"Christopher Hilton ,&nbsp;Lilian Befort ,&nbsp;Ronja Brinkmann ,&nbsp;Matthias Ballestrem ,&nbsp;Joerg Fingerhut ,&nbsp;Klaus Gramann","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvp.2025.102528","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jenvp.2025.102528","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Urban planning and design principles would benefit from enhanced understanding of how public spaces afford engagement. Place affordances refer to the behaviours that the architecture of a place enables the perceiving agent to enact and are incorporated into the early stages of human perceptual processes. However, less is known about how an agent's action intentions are integrated into the perception of affordances. In the present study, we presented participants with images of an architectural structure featuring lateral and central staircases with either high or low steps whilst recording brain activity with electroencephalography (EEG). Participants were primed to consider either reading a book, or meeting friends in the places, and were asked to rate the appropriateness of the places for the given activity and to select the location within the scene where they would conduct that activity. There was also a control condition with no primed activity that involved aesthetic ratings of the same places. Behavioural ratings showed that high steps were preferred for reading compared to low steps whereas step height was not a significant factor for conducting a social activity. Participants preferred the lateral stairs to read on, but shifted to the central stairway when the high steps were central with low steps on the lateral sides. In contrast, participants preferred the central stairway to conduct a social activity in all stair configurations. The EEG data showed no significant differences between the two activity conditions in early perceptual processes. However, pronounced differences in early brain dynamics were observed when participants judged places for activities compared to aesthetics. Specifically, latencies of the visual evoked P1 component were shorter and amplitudes were reduced for the aesthetic ratings, which also yielded larger P2 and P300 amplitudes, signifying modulation of perceptual and attentional processes for the exact same stimuli, by the intention to act. These results demonstrate the importance of human action intentions in the environment when considering place affordances.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48439,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Psychology","volume":"102 ","pages":"Article 102528"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143160770","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Tree Task: An incentivized, one-shot decision task to study pro-environmental behavior","authors":"Andrea Essl,&nbsp;David Hauser,&nbsp;Manuel Suter,&nbsp;Frauke von Bieberstein","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvp.2025.102540","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jenvp.2025.102540","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To better study pro-environmental behavior, behavioral researchers need a rich set of tasks that allows them to study different forms of pro-environmental behavior. Here we present the <em>Tree Task</em>, an incentivized, one-shot task used to study pro-environmental behavior in the form of tree planting. In the <em>Tree Task</em>, individuals face a trade-off between individual immediate financial rewards and long-term environmental gains. Participants decide between spending money to plant trees or keeping the money for themselves. In a pre-registered validation study, we found that participants’ decisions in the <em>Tree Task</em> depend on the price and environmental impact of a tree. As expected, a higher price leads to fewer planted trees, whereas higher carbon dioxide offsets foster tree planting. The number of trees planted correlates with established self-reports assessing environmental attitude and intention, belief in climate change, and values in line with pro-environmental behavior. The <em>Tree Task</em> extends the set of validated tasks examining incentivized pro-environmental behavior as a short, vivid, and easy-to-explain task.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48439,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Psychology","volume":"102 ","pages":"Article 102540"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143160769","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characteristics of physical environments that enhance learning: A systematic review of EEG-Based empirical studies","authors":"Yi-Kyung Hong,&nbsp;Ji Young Cho","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvp.2025.102525","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jenvp.2025.102525","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Physical environments can influence human emotion, cognition, and behavior including learning. Despite the importance of the physical environment in learning, neurophysiological evidence has not been extensively sought. The purpose of this study was, through an analysis of empirical studies in which electroencephalograms (EEGs) were used, to identify (a) the characteristics of physical environments that enhance learning, (b) the main brainwave indicators and brain regions associated with the learning process, and (c) the characteristics of EEG research design and materials. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses, or PRISMA, method and snowball sampling were used to select the 22 research articles analyzed in this study. The main findings from the selected literature include the following. First, color, lighting, and thermal comfort were the most commonly studied elements of physical environments that affect learning in EEG studies; attention, restoration, and creativity were the main cognitive‒psychological aspects investigated. Second, the main EEG brainwave indicators for attention were beta waves and those of restoration were alpha waves, relative alpha to beta, and the asymmetry indicator of alpha. The main brain regions associated with learning were the frontal, prefrontal, and occipital lobes. Third, regarding research design and materials, the systematic review revealed some gaps and limitations in previous studies, making research reproducibility difficult and necessitating the development of a standard research protocol and report of trustworthiness. The results of this study provide meaningful insights for the evaluation and planning of learning environments and future agendas for researchers in the field of environmental psychology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48439,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Psychology","volume":"102 ","pages":"Article 102525"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143419069","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of outdoor walking and infant carrying on behavioral and adrenocortical outcomes in mothers and infants","authors":"Nicole Rheinheimer ,&nbsp;Stefania V. Vacaru ,&nbsp;Simone Kühn ,&nbsp;Carolina de Weerth","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvp.2025.102527","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jenvp.2025.102527","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Research in school-aged children demonstrates positive effects of outdoor walking on behavioral self-regulation. Furthermore, studies report stress-reducing effects of proximity on infants and mothers. To date, no studies have assessed the effects of an outdoor walk as well as infant carrying on infants and their mothers in the postnatal phase. This study assessed the effects of a 30-min walk in an outdoor green environment (vs. staying indoors) and proximity through infant carrying (vs. using a pram) on infants and their mothers. Effects on infant cortisol and sleep, maternal cortisol and mood, and mother-infant adrenocortical synchrony were examined. Infants (N = 101, 0–5 months old) were exposed to a mild naturalistic stressor. Mother-infant dyads were subsequently randomized to one of four conditions: walking in an outdoor green environment with the infant in a pram or a chest carrier, or staying indoors with the infant in a pram or a chest carrier. Mothers reported infant's sleep in minutes after the conditions, and maternal mood through visual analogue vigor and affect scales both immediately before and after the conditions. Cortisol concentrations of mother and infant were determined through five saliva samples throughout the experiment. After the stressor, carried infants showed a greater decrease in cortisol values compared to infants in the pram, regardless of whether they were walked outdoors or stayed indoors. Infants who were walked outdoors in a carrier or pram slept longer than infants who stayed indoors in a pram. In contrast, mothers staying indoors showed a greater decrease in cortisol concentrations as compared to mothers walking outdoors. Compared to mothers having their infant in a pram, mothers who carried their infant showed a greater decrease in cortisol concentrations. Indoors, maternal vigor decreased from the pre-to post-condition, while mothers going outdoors showed no decrease. There was no difference in maternal affect or mother-infant adrenocortical synchrony between conditions. Our findings have implications for caregiving advice, as well as for future research on the stress-reducing potential of the outdoors in combination with infant carrying.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48439,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Psychology","volume":"102 ","pages":"Article 102527"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143328122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Promoting collective climate action and identification with environmentalists through social interaction and visual feedback in virtual reality","authors":"Adéla Plechatá ,&nbsp;Thomas Morton ,&nbsp;Guido Makransky","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvp.2025.102526","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jenvp.2025.102526","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Social interaction is theorized to be a key mechanism for crystallizing environmental identities, encouraging individual and collective action, and driving societal shifts toward sustainability. This preregistered lab-in-the-field study utilizes multiuser immersive virtual reality (VR), which allows individuals to interact verbally and non-verbally in a shared virtual environment, to investigate these processes in a controlled setting. High school student participants (255 tested, 194 analyzed) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (1) social interaction with environmental feedback, (2) social interaction only, or (3) no social interaction and no environmental feedback. In dyads, all participants engaged in a virtual sustainable cooking task, working either collaboratively (conditions 1 and 2) or in parallel without interaction (condition 3). Environmental feedback was provided by dynamically visualizing the impact of food choices. Results indicated that social interaction enhanced social identification with climate-action supporters. Environmental feedback, in combination with social interaction, further amplified these effects, leading to higher collective action intentions and feelings of hope. Although social interaction with feedback resulted in higher intentions to reduce meat consumption compared to social interaction only, no direct effects on objectively assessed behavior were observed. Social identification with climate action supporters was significantly correlated with all behavior-related measures. This study demonstrates the utility of multiuser VR as an experimental tool for investigating social interaction and as a practical tool for engaging students in sustainability. Theoretically, the results highlight the importance of interaction in social identification, which can be enhanced through visualization and feedback to promote collective action.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48439,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Psychology","volume":"102 ","pages":"Article 102526"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143160763","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the impacts of the soundscape, awe and knowledge on pro-environmental intent","authors":"Chloe L. Kjaer,&nbsp;V. Schaffer,&nbsp;J. Campton,&nbsp;L. Kannis-Dymand","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvp.2025.102524","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jenvp.2025.102524","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Natural soundscapes evoke awe and play a pivotal role in shaping visitor experiences, potentially leading to transformational outcomes. This study, grounded in the Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) theory, examined the effects of natural soundscapes and pre-recorded whale vocalizations on inducing awe and influencing Pro-Environmental Intent (PEI) among whale watchers. Additionally, the study explored how increased whale knowledge impacts PEI. Findings reveal that awe significantly predicts heightened PEI, particularly in fostering connectedness with nature. Interestingly, no significant difference in awe levels emerged between participants exposed to natural soundscapes versus pre-recorded whale vocalizations. However, participants' whale knowledge substantially increased post-tour, contributing significantly to PEI. The influence of soundscapes on PEI was partially supported, with significant differences noted on the “recycle and reuse” subscale. Overall, the study highlights experiences of awe, the acquisition of knowledge, and exposure to natural soundscapes can collectively enhance environmental consciousness and strongly impact pro-environmental behaviours. These insights provide valuable guidance for designing tourism experiences that promote sustainable behaviour.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48439,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Psychology","volume":"102 ","pages":"Article 102524"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143160765","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Good intentions, limited action: When do farmers’ intentions to adopt sustainable farming practices turn into actual behaviour?","authors":"Andrea Byfuglien ,&nbsp;Anne M. van Valkengoed ,&nbsp;Stefania Innocenti","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvp.2025.102522","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jenvp.2025.102522","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A vast body of literature has developed to predict farmers' pro-environmental attitudes, intentions, and behaviour to develop effective policy for supporting farmers' adoption of sustainable practices. This literature relies heavily on measures of intentions, self-reported behaviours, and cross-sectional approaches. Yet evidence from across the social and psychological sciences demonstrate a prevalent gap between intentions and actions, which is also observed among farmers, and that intentions do not necessarily predict actions. We examine the nature and prevalence of farmers' intention-action gap, whether predictors of intentions also predict actions, and which predictors can explain whether intentions turn into behaviour. To do so we use survey and objective behavioural data from Norwegian horticultural farmers to examine their intentions to adopt and actual adoption of cover crops, a sustainable farming practice that can offer both mitigation and adaptation benefits. We survey farmers before the 2023 growing season to measure their farming preferences, environmental attitudes and concerns, and their intentions to apply for a cover crops subsidy (i.e. their intention to adopt). We subsequently access records of farmers’ application for the cover crops subsidy at the end of the farming season, six months later, to measure their actual adoption of cover crops. In line with the intention-action gap we found that whereas 49% intended to apply for the cover crops subsidy, only 16% of our sample applied for the subsidy in 2023. Past use and knowledge of cover crops, perceived need for adaptation, being risk seeking in farming, and using advisory services predicted intentions, whereas only past use of cover crops predicted both intention and actual adoption. Moreover, only the strongest level of reported intentions had some value in predicting actual behaviour. Our results offer timely evidence of the intention-action gap in agricultural decision-making, the urgent need to address a widespread reliance on intentions as predictors of behaviour, and the importance of behavioural measures and longitudinal approaches to understand the intention-action gap.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48439,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Psychology","volume":"102 ","pages":"Article 102522"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143160767","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Compassion is key: How virtually embodying nature increases connectedness to nature","authors":"Pia Spangenberger ,&nbsp;Jule M. Krüger ,&nbsp;Sonja M. Geiger ,&nbsp;Georg Felix Reuth ,&nbsp;Lena Baumann ,&nbsp;Steve Nebel","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvp.2025.102521","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jenvp.2025.102521","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Education for sustainable development and environmental psychology call for more systematic evidence regarding the role of emotions in sustainability-related attitudes, competencies, and behaviour. At the same time, immersive Virtual Reality (iVR) technology is discussed as a promising research approach for achieving this goal. However, research on the emotional processes explaining the high impact of iVR on nature connectedness is still in its infancy. Therefore, we conducted a study to further investigate the role of emotions for nature connectedness induced by virtually embodying a representative of nature (a tree) in iVR. We tested <em>N</em> = 85 students who were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: a threatening scenario, including a threat in the form of a forest fire at the end of the experience (<em>n</em> = 42), or a non-threatening scenario without the forest fire (<em>n</em> = 43). Emotions (anger, anxiety, sadness, joy and compassion) felt during the experience were assessed retrospectively with an extended version of the PANAS. To capture physical arousal during the iVR experience, participants wore an electrodermal activity (EDA) measurement device during the entire iVR exposure. The tests for mediation effects showed that compassion rather than basic emotions (anger, anxiety, sadness, or joy) explains the development of nature connectedness. Regarding the moderation effects, we found that the impact of virtual body ownership on anger, anxiety, and compassion differed based on the scenario type. Interaction effects showed that the threatening scenario induced stronger negative emotions (anger, anxiety, sadness) and compassion. These results were corroborated by the physiological reaction data of the participants. Based on our findings, we stress that exploring a virtual threat to nature can be perceived as a threat to oneself and can induce strong emotional and physiological reactions. Moreover, our results indicate that compassion is a distinct emotion with distinct effects to other emotions such as anger, anxiety, sadness, or joy. Subsequently, we build a case for focusing on compassion as a crucial factor in building nature connectedness.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48439,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Psychology","volume":"102 ","pages":"Article 102521"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143160768","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A meta-ethnography of global research on the mental health and emotional impacts of climate change on older adults","authors":"Nushka Marinova,&nbsp;Luis Calabria,&nbsp;Elizabeth Marks","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102511","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102511","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Older adults are argued to be one of the more vulnerable populations to the adverse impacts of climate change on mental health. There has been no meta-synthesis of the qualitative literature on their lived experiences of these impacts. This review adopted a systematic search and a meta-ethnography approach to develop a new conceptual understanding of how climate change affects older adults' mental health and wellbeing globally. Nineteen papers were identified on climate-related extreme weather events (n = 13) and overall climate awareness (n = 6). The synthesis mapped the reciprocal and refutational relationships of nine third-order constructs to explain the direct and indirect impacts of climate change on older adults' mental health and wellbeing. The direct impacts were seen in the mental health problems due to the experiences of extreme weather events, in the anxiety about the future of others, and grief responses to the changing environment. Interactions between climate factors and individual (e.g. physical health) and systemic vulnerability (e.g. social support, economic strength) contributed to mental health and adjustment difficulties or resilient responses. The emotional responses and older adults’ reflections on their roles in the climate crisis varied depending on proximity of climate threats. The results revealed several adaptive responses and resilience factors, important for the wellbeing of older adults and their communities. Findings have policy implications for including older adults in climate discourses and adaptations. Future research should consider the relevance of the conceptual model to elder cultures and climate exposures not represented in this review.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48439,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Psychology","volume":"102 ","pages":"Article 102511"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143160764","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Does environmental psychology afford an “effective context” for the study of structural racism?","authors":"Trevor S. Lies,&nbsp;Syed Muhammad Omar,&nbsp;Glenn Adams","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102486","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102486","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recent manifestations of racial violence have renewed conversations about structural racism. An important question for psychologists concerns how they might contribute to scholarship that adequately illuminates and confronts structural racism. In this paper, we consider whether environmental psychology (EP)—a discipline unique in its attention to the everyday environment of psychological experience—can serve as a site for such scholarship. We critically review articles that mention racism in EP’s two leading journals (<em>Journal of Environmental Psychology</em> and <em>Environment &amp; Behavior</em>). We find that of the roughly 4,500 articles published in the two journals, the word ‘racism’ appears in 45 articles, 10 of which effectively apply EP’s framework to illuminate and confront structural racism. We conclude by arguing for EP to shift toward a racism-conscious lens, until which an EP for the study of structural racism will remain unborn.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48439,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Psychology","volume":"100 ","pages":"Article 102486"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142747341","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}