Environmental Influences on Human Behavior

and Well-Being
Architectural Psychology – Assignment I
Maham Shahzad (F2019101023)

Q 1. What are restorative environments and how can the restorativeness of an

environment be measured?
The word in context of environmental psychology refers to the experience of a psychological
recovery process that is triggered due to being in the presence of a particular environment and
environmental configurations, i.e. restorative environments. These may contribute to well-
being and the prevention of disease and illness. There are three primary methods by which a
restorative environment may be measured:
 affective measures (e.g. how happy/sad/stressed you are at the moment?)
 cognitive measures (e.g. attention and memory tasks)
 physiological methods (e.g. heart rate, blood pressure, skin conductance, cortisol
levels)

Q 2. Explain why natural environments tend to be more restorative than built

environments.
Built environments have considerable negative impacts on one’s well-being. This includes
road traffic noise, poor air quality, high temperature and crowding. On the other hand, natural
environments convey the message that the place is cared for, thus promoting a sense of
safety. In addition, well-maintained green areas – natural environment – increase
opportunities for social interaction, mutual acquaintance and community control over
common spaces.
The natural environment makes people experience less loneliness and more social support,
which, in turn, lead to better health, especially for low-income people, elderly and children.

Q 3. What is the relationship between restorative effects of nature and health benefits of
nature?
The two of them go hand in hand. The exposure to restorative natural environments may
contribute to well-being and the prevention of disease and illness. Not only physical but it
may aid in improving mental illness as well. Thus, restorative environments are a prominent
topic in the study of health benefits of nature.
Q 4. Which environmental conditions of urban settings tend to have a negative influence
on urban environmental quality?
The quality of the residential (urban) environment is fundamental to people’s lives. There are
several environmental conditions that may negatively impact the urban environmental
quality:
 road traffic noise
 poor air quality
 high temperature
 crowding

These result in various physical and psychological consequences for people in consistent
exposure to it, including health-related problems, annoyance, negative emotions. In addition,
environmental stressors can negatively impact social behavior. For example, noise and
crowding may increase avoidance reactions and aggression and decrease social behavior

Q 5. Which are the different measures of urban environmental quality? Briefly explain
each of them.
Urban environmental quality can be measured directly, for example by asking people to
indicate how satisfied they are with (different aspects of) their residential environment (e.g.
on a scale from 1 to 10). In addition, several measures have been developed to assess specific
behavioral, cognitive and emotional components of residential satisfaction. These include:
 spatial (i.e. architectural and urban planning). For example if the buildings are too tall
or too closely spaced together
 human (i.e. people and social relationships). For example if the people in the
neighborhoods are civil or hostile
 functional (i.e. services and facilities). For example buses are too uncomfortable to
travel on or if they provide satisfactory service
 contextual (i.e. pace of life, environmental health/pollution and upkeep/care). Like if
the neighborhood is full of activity or has a dull atmosphere