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UNIT 2 ENVIRONMENTAL PERCEPTION

AND COGNITION
Structure
2.0 Introduction
7 1 nh;nc+;.,no

2.2 Environmental Perception and Environmental Situation

2.2.1 Mental Maps or Cognitive Maps
2.2.2 Environmental Perception and Man Built Environment
2.2.3 Relationship between Environmental Perception and Environmental Situation

2.3 Environmental Perception in Different Settings

2.4 Environmental Perception and Other Psychological Process
2.5 Environmental Perce~tionand its Functional Aspects
2.6 Cognitive Map
2.7 Environmental Preference
2.7.1 Type of Environment
2.7.2 Major Categories
2.7.3 Human Influence
2.7.3 The Purpose of an Activity
2.7.5 Socio Economic Background

2.8 Understanding the Environment

2.9 Involvement with Environments
2.9.I Element Inter Relations
2.9.2 The Shifting Image
2.9.3 The lmage Quality

2.10 Individual's Response to Environment

2.11 What Human Beings Do?
2.12 Let Us Sum Up
2.13 Unit End Questions
2.14 Glossary
2.15 Suggested Readings

2.0 INTRODUCTION
This unit deals with environmental perception. It begins with giving an
understanding to the environmental perception and environmental situation. It then
gives an idea about how the environment is perc
help in this regard. Environmental perception is considered not only in terms
of natural environment but also in terms of built in environment. Then the
3A relationship between environmental perception and environmental situation are
discussed in detail. This is followed by perception of environment in different Environmental Perception
and Cognition
setting sand the processes involved thereof. Then there is a discussion about
cognitive map and how the environment is perceived as a result of the cognitive
map. The various aspects involved in environmental preference is then taken
up and this is discussed in terms of types of environment, how human influence
decides the preference, how the purpose of an activity decides the preference
of an environment and the many socio-economic factors such as age, sex,
income, occupation etc. how these influence the preference for an environment.
In understanding the environment and involvement with the environment issues
like elements in inter relationships, the shifting image and image quality are
discussed. Finally how the individuals respond to the environment and what
factors influence the same.

2.1 OBJECTIVES
After completing this unit, you will be able to:
Define environmental perception;
Describe the characteristic features of environmental perception and

Elucidate the psychological processes involved in the perception of

environment;
Explain cognitive map and its importance in the perception of environment;
Define environment preference;
Elucidate the various factors that contribute to environmental preferences;

Analyse the various factors in individual's response to environment.

2.2 ENVIRONMENTAL PERCEPTION AND

ENVIRONMENTAL SITUATION
Environmental perception is the way in which an individual perceives the
environment, and the process of evaluating and storing information received about
the environment. It is the perception of the environment which is important
because individuals base their judgements on the environment as they perceive
it, not as it is. The nature of such perception includes warm feelings for an
environment, an ordering of information, and an understanding, however
subjective, of the environment.

2.2.1 Mental Maps or Cognitive Maps

Cognitive maps also known as mental maps, mind maps, cognitive models,
or mental models are a type of mental processing composed of a series of
psychological transformations by which an individual can acquire, code, store,
recall, and decode information about the relative locations and attributes of
phenomena in their everyday or metaphorical spatial environment.
The credit for the creation of this term is given to Edward Tolman. Cognitive
maps have been studied in various fields;-such as psychology, education,
Environmental psychology: archaeology, planning, geography, cartography, architecturc, landscape architecture,
Cognition and Perception urban planning and management. As a consequence. these mental models are
often referred to, variously, as cognitive maps, mental maps, scripts, schemata,
and frames of rqference.
Putting it into simpler terms, cognitive maps are a method we use to construct
and accumulate spatial knowledge, allowing the "mindb q e " to visualize images
in order to reduce cognitive load, enhance recall and learning of information.
This type of spatial thinking can also be used as a metaphor for non-spatial
tasks involving mernon, and imaging. The oldest known formal method of using
spatial locations to remember data is the "method o f loci". This method was
originally used by students of rhetoric in ancient Rome when memorising
speeches.
'I'he neural correlate^ of a cognitive map have been speculated to be theplace
cell system in the hippocampus and the recently discovered grid cells in the
entorhinal cortex.
There is a popular view that people's mental representations of environments
are embodied in 'cognitive maps'. Like many useful concepts the term cognitive
map has many meanings, leading to inevitable misunderstandings. One view
is that cognitive maps are map like mental constructs that can be mentally
inspected. They are presumed to be learned by gradually acquiring elements
of the world, first landmarks (point like elements), then routes (line like elements),
and finally unifying the landmarks and routes with metric suniey information.
As maps they are presumed to be like real maps availalsle to real inspection.
In many instances especially for environments not known in dctail, the information
relevant to memory or judgement inay be in different forms some of them not
map like at all. In these cases, rather than resembling maps, people's internal
representations seein to be more like collages, which are thematic overlays from
different points of view. In other situations, where environments are simple and
well learned, people seen1 to have quite accurate mental representations of spatial
layouts. These are relations that are easily comprehended from language as
well as from direct experience.
If an environment is familiar, most of us will find our ways most of the time.
Or we use maps or instructions or environmental cues or all of them. For
some well learned environments large scale or small, people's knowledge can
be well organised and systematic. In such cases the knowledge often has (i)
the form of locating elements relative to one another from a point of view or
of (ii) locating an element relative to a higher order environmental feature or
reference frame. These two simple relations can form a foundation for spatial
knowledge from which memory and judgement are connected. These relations
also form the basis for spatial language used in descriptions of environments. .
Perception has always been conceptualised as one of the most relevant processes
within General Psychology. Environmental perception plays a similar role within
the flamework of Environmental Psychology. Research and theories in environmental
perception have primarily focused on the development and processing of mental
representations by subjects to better interpret and understand their surroundings.
One of the first and principal concepts developed to investigate the mental
representations of an environment is the cognitive map. As mentioned above,
this term was coined by Tolman and the concept of cognitive map has evolved
LOintegrate many different 5ources which caninfluence such mental representations. Envirnnrnental Perception
and Cognition
The first of these sources is the environment itself. Studies on spatial orientation
and spatial perception primarily focus on the way that physical characteristics
of the environment influence knowledge or the way finding ability or orientation
capabilities of the subjects.

2.2.2 Environmental Perception and Man Built Environment

Environmental perception is not simply perception of the natural environment
but includes built environments, other people, values, cognition and aesthetics.
Environmental perception studies have made an important contribution to
geographical knowledge. For instance, behavioural geographers, who drew
heavily upon environmental psychology and cognition, developed an elaborate
array of general categories which can describe and explain environmental
perception in a variety of contexts. This was part of their commitment to making
geography a spatial science, but it also paved the way for less analytical
investigatioils into huinan perception and into hcnneneutics (science and
methodology of interpreting texts) which are associated with humanistic geography.
TTouchis a sense that we use all day without typically thinking a second thought
about it. We use our sense of touch to respond to various elements of the
environment with every movc. We do not only experience touch through just
our fingertips, but through every inch of our bodies. We rcspond to the
environment through touch in three major ways, namely (i) Thermoreceptors
(ii) Noceptors and (iii) Mechanoreceptors.
A thermoreceptor is a sensory receptor that responds to heat and cold.
Mechanoreceptors are those which we and other animals have, that is, several
types of receptors of mechanical stimuli. Each initiates nerve impulses in sensory
neurons when it is physically deformed by an outside force such as touch,
pressure, strctching, sound waves and motion. Mechanoreceptors enable us to
dctcct touch, monitor the position of our muscles, bones, and joints, which is
called as the sense of proprioception
We respond to the elements of temperature changes of space through our
Thennoreceptors and to the changes in pressure in our environment through
both Noceptors and Mechanoreceptors. These three ways allow us to continually
evaluate our environments almost instantly.
The concept of the 'perceived environment' has been used to challenge the
concept of economic marl, which lies at the heart of neoclassical economics
(see bounded rationality satisficer) and to explain supposedly irrational
behaviour, such as moving to a flood- or earthquake-prone location (see
cognitive dissonance).
It is suggested that environmental perception can be seen in the following stages:

An emotional response.
An orientative response with the construction of mental maps.
.: A classibing response as the individual sorts out the incoming information.
4) An organising response as the individual sees causes and effects in the
information.
Environmental psycho log^: Environment is taken to refer to anything external to the perceiver which
Cognition and Perception influences or might influence the perception process. Generally physical environment
is composed of (a) the natural environment and (b) the built environment.
Natural environment refers to places, such as valley, mountains, environmental
conditions such as temperature and rainfall, flora and fauna.
Built environment refers to the results of people's alterations of environments,
e.g., houses and buildings, cities, communities etc.
Mental activities include things that they see, hear and their interpretation about
the physical environment. Mental activities also include beliefs, attitudes which
can be positive or negative. All persons receive the same information in a given
real life environmental display and they process it in different fashion. How we
behave in a setting is a function of how we perceive it. People who live in
different environments develop distinctive ways of recording, processing and
acting on this information.
The concept of mental or cognitive maps illustrates the complex character of
environmental perception. All of us carry a mental map of our surroundings
around us. A cognitive map of an environment, thus, is our internalised image
of that environment. It is not necessarily be correct and accurate representation.
Like all perceptual processes environmental perception plays a dual role in our
lives.

0 First, it is the source of our phenomenal experience of the world. All

its sights, sounds and smells, all its simple and complex things, all its ugliness
and its beauty, all its sense of value comes to us through the process of
perception.

n Second, perception provides us with a guide to action in the environment.

It gives us both arena within which actions take place and the ability to register
and record the consequences of these actions.

2.2.3 Relationship between Environmental Perception and

Environmental Situation
The environment is taken to refer to anything external to the perceiver which
influences or might influence the perception process. There is a close relationship
between environmental situation and environmental perception.
The significant informations are:
Environments have no fixed or given boundaries to space and time.
Environments provide information through all the senses.
Environments include peripheral as well as central information.
Environments include more information than can adequately be handled.
Environments are defined by and experienced through action.
Environments have symbolic meaning.
Environmental experience always takes on the systematic quality of a
coherent and predictable value.

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 Environmental ptrception involves activity on our part, especially in terms Environmental Perception
and Cognition
of exploring the environment to determine what needs it meets.
Environmental perception is likely to consider the person environment
relationship from a holistic system or transactional perspective.
Exposure to a particular environment may result in a adaptation or habitation,
with the weakening of a response following repeated exposure to a stimulus.
We typically perceive our environment as bounded, yet the environment as such
does not provide any information as to its spatial or temporal boundaries. It
is the person, who sets his own boundaries for the various settings he
experiences. His purposes and actions constantly interact with environmental
information. The person is able to shift the boundaries one after which he
perceives. There is a continuous interplay between environmental information
and individual along with culture. Environments are multimodal, the senses
function always. A blind person learns to get around through his sense by touch.
A kind of private radar closely related to his sense of hearing. Environments
almost always provide more information than can possibly be processed.
Environments influence the behaviours which take place in them is through their
symbolic meaning. The symbolic meanings and motivational messages emitted
by an environment are integral to our perception of it.
Every setting induces feelings, associations and attitudes in the perceiver that
can be described as its ambience. Whereas symbolic meaning, generally cany
cognitive information, ambience is related to the way we feel about the
environment. A setting can be exotic, pleasant, gloomy or restful. Such feelings
can be general across many individuals or unique to one person.
Another important characteristic of environment is their aesthetic quality. The
experience of the aesthetic quality of an environment reflects most dramatically
the complex interrelationship between the perceiver and the situation of which
he is a part. It will vary from culture to culture but the perception of all
environments necessarily involves a degree of aesthetic awareness.
The various components of an environment relate to each other in ways that,
characterise and define the particular environment that is being perceived. The
environment provides no direct information as to its boundaries in space or time,
it provides information through all the sense modalities and this information is
of a very complex nature. Environmental information is always acquired through
action on the part of the perceiver and the information conveys among other
things symbolic meanings which have cognitive, affective arid aesthetic aspects
and finally environments have a systematic quality of orderly interrelatedness.
Self Assessment Questions

1) Define environmental perception and environmental situation.

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Environmental Psychology:
Cognition and Perception

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3) Discuss environmental perception in terms of natural environment and
man built environment.

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2.3 ENVIRONMENTAL PERCEPTION IN

DIFFERENT SETTINGS
-.
Environmental perception is a product of active conrmunication with the
environment. How we perceive in a setting is a hnction of how we perceive
it, but this perception, in turn, are dependent on the information we define from
our ow-n actions in this setting. Different people or group of people may perceive
the "same environment" differently and that the same person would perceive
quite differently had he lived in a different environment.
Thus, we can say that different people will extract different information from
the same environment, and different environments offer different kinds of
information to the same person. The role of environmental differences in the
fijm~ationof perceptual differences can be studied in connection with the effect
of iiving in different environmental setting. People who live in different
e~lvironmentsdevelop distinctive ways of recording, processing and acting on
this information. The concept of mental and cognitive maps illustrates the complex
character of environmental perception.
Natural environments vary tremendously, from desert to forest, from plain to
mountain and man-made environments as well differ markedly from each other.
Existing environments have the added advantage that for the most part people
are already living in them, and one can perform a field investigation in the natural
setting without introducing any element of ,artificiality.
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2.4 ENVIRONMENTAL PERCEPTION AND
OTHER PSYCHOLOGICAL
PROCESS
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The concept of mental or cognitive maps illustrates the complex character of
rh~:environmental perception. It is one way of approaching the perception of
yl.+irr room, home or city. We all carry a mental map of our surroundings and
ahis mapis often more important in detenrlining our orientatio~itoward an
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 Environmental Perception
environment than any particular feature or group of features which rnay exist and Cognition
in that situation.
A cognitive map of an environment is our internalised image of that environment.
It need not necessarily be a correct and accurate representation. Ilnage ability
is not always visual. Sounds also contribute to our sense of space and our
orientation to it. It is true that the cognitive map is not pure perccption nor
pure cognition, nor pure memory but it is in fact what comes to mind when
we ask oursclves to visualise any particular environmental situation.
A mental image of the environment which we anticipate for our action is a
necessary part of this ability to plan our behaviour.

2.5 ENVIRONMENTAL PERCEPTION AND ITS

FUNCTIONAL ASPECTS
Environmental perception actually orients us in our surroundings. It provides
us with information about the systematic relationships among the components
of our world and also the means whereby we can relate our own 'goal striving'
to the environment within which we live.
The overall function of environmental perception is neither to reveal the present
reality nor to recall past reality; rather it is to predict the future. Perception
is anticipatory. This anticipation is not possible without our experience with the
recording of past environments. Environmental perceptions reconcile the world
we experience a new each day with the world wc have already come to know.
Wc can refer our previous experiences, our previous perception and also our
previous assumption to create and maintain a stable environment.

2.6 COGNITIVE
Cognitive map is a mental iiamework that holds some representation for the
spatial representation of the physical environn-~ent.
Cognitive map may be sketchy,
incomplete, distorted, simplified and so on. It mainly consists of three elements,
viz., places, the spatial relations between places and trahel plans. Place may
be a room, building, city, nation etc. Cognitive inap reflects spatial characteristics,
such as the distance and direction between places and the inclusion of one place
within another.
Cognitive maps are very personal representation of the familiar environmcnt that
wc all experience. Lynch found that there are five categories in cognitive map,
viz., path, edges, districts, nodes and landmarks.
Paths: Paths are shared traveled corridors viz.. streets, river ways etc.
Edges: Edges are limiting or enclosing features that tend to be linear but are
not functioning as paths, viz., wall, seashore etc.
Districts: Districts are larger spaces of cognitive maps that have some common
character viz., "China town" found in many cities.
Nodes: Nodes are major points where behaviour is focused. It is typically
associated with the intersections of major paths or places, viz., a traffic circle.
Landmarks: Landmarks are distinctive features that people use for reference
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Self Assessment Questions

1) Discuss how environmental perception varies in different settings?

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2) What are the various psychological processes involved in environmental
perception.
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3) Describe the functional aspects of environmental perception with suitable
examples.
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4) Define and describe cognitive map.
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5) How are cognitive maps important in environmental perception'?
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 Environmental Perception
2.7 ENVIRONMENTAL PREFERENCE and Cognition

People who live in any culture can decode the information and recognise the
environments using a schema or prototype. Prototype and schema of the
environments also guide people's behaviours in these environments, as well as
their reactions and evaluation of the environments.

People are also able to distinguish subtypes by different characteristics within

the environmental types. Subtypes are distinguished by spatial configurations,
physical contents, and environmental conditions of the scenes within the type.
Spatial configurations of the subtypes of the environments differ by qualities such
as: open, closed, wide, narrow, and deep, shallow.

Vegetation is found to be a significant physical content in perception and

preference studies of urban context. Preferred Characteristics of Environments
include (i) type of environments, (ii) major categories, and (iii) human influence.

2.7.1 Type of Environment

Type is the first environmental factor that influences preference. When people
view a scene, they match it with their prototype or schema and evaluate the
scene according to the type. For example, when people see a scene from a
traditional environment ( for example a traditional market) they match the scene
with the prototype of a traditional market in their minds, and evaluate the scene
in association with their attitudes toward the traditional market, which can be
either positive or negative.

People also associate the positive and negative aspects of the environmental
type, which may not be visible, in their evaluation. The preference is always
higher for the scenes in the subtype that has more positive characteristics or
are higher than those with more negative characteristics. People, after evaluating
the type, also adjust their evaluation according to positive or negative
characteristics, for instance, organisation, cleanliness, and temperature, associated
with the subtype they perceive and recognise.

2.7.2 Major Categories

The major categories that normally appear in dimensional analysis of previous
studies are spatial configuration and content based categories. These major
categories or dimensions have been found to influence preference for a certain
type of environment.

2.7.3 Human Influence

Another important aspect that influences preference for certain types of
environments such as shopping environment, is maintenance, which is a type
of human influence. Better maintenance of the environment results in clean and
better organised space, which generally receives high preference in both types
of traditional and modem environments. Maintenance is described as a positive
human influence on both the urban and natural context that influences higher

33
Envhnmental Ps~cholog~: 2.7.4 The Purpose 0f an Activity
Cognition and Perception
The purpose of an activity has also been found to influence preference for the
environments Preference has been found to vary across persons who have
different purposes in evaluating the environments.

Group difference has been found to be a significant factor in preference of

environment in both natural context and urban design context.
Significant group differences are found among respondents with different
purposes and socio-economic backgrounds. Preference for environments is also
determined by group purposes, their habits, time and duration of the trip, and
their companions.
People's behaviours such as purpose, level of exposure to the environments,
and involvement with the environments have been found to influence preference
for the environment. Respondents who have different levels of contact and
involvement in environments are found to vary in preference for different types
of natural environments.
2.7.5 Socio Economic Background
Socio-economicbackgrounds are found to influence preference for environments.
Age and income are dominant variables among the group of significant variables.
The significant differences in preference by other socio economic backgrounds
are income, education, and family status. This group of variables is found to
influence preference by the economic status of households.
When families have better economic status (more income and less dependents),
they prefer places that appear to offer more recreational outlets. On the contrary,
when they have lower economic status (lower income and more dependents)
they prefer places that appear to offer more value than recreational outing.
Income and related variables have been found to influence preference in natural
environments and in an urban context. It has been found that variables related
to income level, such as education and occupation, etc influence preference for
different styles of houses.
Socio-economic backgrounds and the differences by age, income, education,
and occupation are found to influence preference in environment. Both sub-
culture and taste have been found to influence preference in both rural and urban
settings.
Although there are significant differences in preferences for different dimensions
of environments, there is also similarity. The order of preferences for different
dimensions of, for instance, shopping environments among different subgroups
is similar across several variables. This suggests that while there are differences
in magnitudes of preference, yet there is a similar pattern among groups.
While the respondent's backgrounds can influence preference for certain
environments, the variation is caused the most by different environments.
Preference framework, introduced by Kaplan and Kaplan (1983), is widely used
in preference studies as theoretical explanations for the preference results. Parallel
to Kaplan and Kaplail's work, Nasar (1997) also discusses some variables
related to Kaplan and Kaplan's framework.
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Environmental Psychology: Imageability is similar to and sometime used synonymously with legibility.
Cognition and Perception
Imageability is derived from the system of elements paths, nodes, districts,
edges, and landmarks that help people create a cognitive map or mental
representation of the place.
Imageability helps people remember and find their way in the environment.
Imageability can help people become farniliarise with and better understand
the environment, which in turn influences preference.

Imageability is apparent in the spaces of modem malls where different

elements such as nodes and landmarks are distinguished from regular
walkways.
However, traditional environments generally lack imageability, resulting in
difficulty in way finding and making a cognitive map of the large scale
environments.

2.9 INVOLVEMENT WITH THE ENVIRONMENTS

The components of preference framework that aid involvement with the
environment are complexity and mystery. Complexity increases involvement via
a number of different elements, which require attention and time to view and
comprehend.
Mystery increases involvement via the promise of discovering more information
while moving through the en1ironments. Increasing involvement results in higher
preference. Generally, most of the scenes possess a relatively high level of
complexity; therefore, complexity does not contribute to difference in preference
for environments.
However, there are differences in the level of mystery. The opportunity to see
and wander further, a reason for high preference in modem environments (such
as for instance mall environments) is related to the level of mystery. The well
connected spaces and the partially blocked views in the modem environment
especially in the central area, show a high level of mystery, thus receiving high
przference.
Here, it says a public image of any given city is the overlap of many individual
images. The contents of city images are classified into five types of elements:
paths, edges, districts, nodes and landmarks. Each of these elements has been
defined then.
The author says, none of the element types isolated above exist in isolation
in the real case. Districts are structured with nodes, defined by edges, penetrated
by paths and sprinkled with landmarks. Elements regularly overlap and pierce
one another. All three cities have been discussed in relation to these elements.

2.9.1 Element Inter Relations

These elements are simply the raw material of the environmental image at the
city scale. They must be patterned together to provide a satisfying form. Now
the author suggests to consider the interaction of pairs of unlike elements. Such
pairs may reinforce one another, resonate and enhance each other's power, or
they may conflict and destroy themselves.
 Environmental Perception
2.9.2 The Shifting Image and Cognition
Rather than a single comprehensive image for the entire environment, there seem
to be sets of images, which more or less overlap and interrelate. Images
may differ not only by the scale of area involved, but by viewpoint, time of

2.9.3 Image Quality

The study of various individual images reveals certain other distinctions between
them. For example, images of an element differ between observers in terms
of their relative density, i.e., the extent to which they are packed with detail.
From the above, one might infer that the images of greatest value are those
which most closely approach a strong total field, that is the dense, rigid and
the vivid field. This field makes use of all element types and form characteristics
without concentration and put together either hierarchically or continuously, as
occasion demands.
It has been observed, time and again, from a host of empirical evidences that
the physical environments have the direct and indirect influences on many levels
of human behaviour, including interpersonal, small group and organisational

2.10 INDIVIDUAL'S RESPONSE TO

ENVIRONMENT
In order to have an extensive view of human behavoiur in large ecological
contexts, it is very essential to know the environmental perception and cognition
of individuals that is, the manner in which individuals respond to their
environment, viz., their cognitive perceptual capacities and the components of
the information processing system are hnctioning uniquely as a whole interactive

Physical and socio-cultural environment are linked with people and various
psychological environments. It means that man moves through various settings
with clear expectations of how others will behave as well.
Whereas the conventional approach to perception examines the way the brain
interprets messages from the sensory organs concerning specific elements in the
environment, environmental perception views the perceptual experience as more
encompassing, including cognitive, affective, interpretive and evaluative responses.
Also environmental perception is likely to consider the systems or transactional
perspectives. Environmental perception involves activity on our part, especially
in terms of exploring the environment to determine what needs to meet.
Exposure to a particular environment may result in adaptation or habituation.
In other words, how the weakening of responses follow repeated exposure to
a stimulus. Individual differences in the ways people think about and relate to
the everyday physical environment are assumed to be understood by environmental
disposition including conservation, recreation and leisure activities, architecture
and geography, science and technology, urban life and culture, aesthetic
preferences, privacy and adaptation etc.
Znvironmental Psychology:
:ognition and Perception 1 WHAT HUMAN BEINGS DO ?
Gregarious man not only needs different forms of grouping for survival but they
also seem to be dominated by conscious or unconscious hedonic principles.
Thus, we, the rational human beings are not only one to live together but at
the same time, they want to be free from anything that is painful, anything
that creates anxiety and tension, anything that threatens the bridge between the
urge of acquirement of pleasure.
It is due to this that we constantly keep on searching for the ever best place
to reside in. And the outcome of such a mentality is that we are still unable
to trace any ideal place in this world which is swayed by unending pleasure.
There is no idyllic setting where the problems of living can be universally
eliminated. Those who dwell in rural areas consider the fact that rural life is
clean and simple, full of honesty, religiosity and a strong sense of individualism.
But to the urban dwellers, the rural folks are nayve, unsophisticated and also
ignorant The contradiction of goodness and badness of urban vs. rural life is
hard to reconcile, rather it is more practical to view the problem from a more
practical point of view rather than from a more broad view point.
Thus, it will be better to deal with the ways in which particular settings help
to shape their inhabitants' belief regarding their own effectiveness and competence,
as well as their feelings of futility and fatalism.
Persons in urban and rural settings learn to be effective in some realms of their
lives, each setting does afford experiences that may facilitate the growth of
perceived competence in certain realms of experience, though not in many others.

2.12 LET US SUM UP

In fact, perceived environment or the phenomenal environment is a major
determinant of behaviour with reference to any man environment system. The
phenomenal environment of an individual is modified partly as the phenomenal
self. Within this area are found the objects and events that an individual sees
as somehow important to him. One of the important needs of the individual
is the need to maintain and enhance the phenomenal self. The individual's
perceived social environment is built within the framework of the phenomenal
self. Thus, when the system we have created is put under stress, or threats,
we are likely to behave as if we are personally threatened.
Phenomenal self may be represented as a personal construct, without referring
to which an individual cannot think freely, act purposefblly or even make decisions
for overcoming distress aptly. Personal construct carries on experiments
continuously to make a social world better for the self by including everything
and all probabilities which seen comfortable or congenial to the phenomenal
self immediately, and to the phenomenal world ultimately.
Survival of human species through adaptation with environment speaks of
tremendous flexibility of the physiological and psychological system of man in
accommodating environmental stress. The habit of living in a newly built-up
environment prepares the internal environment of human beings through
reconditioning his homeostatic efftciency. Environmental perception and cognition
takes an important role in this context.
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 1) What do you mean by the term environmental perception?
2) What is environmental cognition'?

3) Write in brief about cognitive map.

4) 1s there anv relationshin between environmental situation and environmental

Aesthetics Features of an environment that leads to

pleasurable responses.
I
Affect Feeling or emotional status.

b
Barometric pressure Atmospheric pressure as read by a
barometer.
Climate Average weather conditions or prevailing
weather over a long period of time.
Cognitive map The brain's representation of the spatial
environment.
' Congruence The fit between user needs or preferences
and the physical features of a setting.
Coping Handling stressors, efforts to restore
equilibrium after stressful events

Determinism : A philosophical notion that circumstances

have absolute casual relationship to events.
I
Distortion : Errors in cognitive maps based on
inaccurate retrieval that leads us to put
something too close together and some
too far apart.
Ecological psychology : Barker's behaviour setting approach to
I studying the interaction between humans
8
and their environment.
Environment : One's surroundings. It is used to refer
to a specific part of one's surroundings,
as in social environment, physical
environment, natural or built environment.
Environmental assessment : Describing and evaluating environments,
I such as through EQI or PEQI methods
or landscape preference methods.
Environmental Psychology: Environmental cognition : The ability or propensity to imagine and
Cognition and Perception think about the spatial world.
Environmental perception : How a person actually perceive the
context in which helshe lives its rich
interplay of social and physical elements.
Environmental psychology : The study of the interrelationshipbetween
behaviour and experience and the built
and natural environment.
Environmental Quality : Objective measures of environmental
Index (EQI) quality - the chemical and physical
properties of water or air.
Health : A state of complete physical, mental and
social well-being is a fundamental need
and it is clearly related to physical
environment.
High density : Situations characterised by high social or
spatial density, a large no. of people in
an area.
Inside density : Population density indices using "inside"
measure, such as number of people per
residence or per room.
Interpersonal distance : The distance between people.
Model : A relationship between concepts that is
often based on analogies or metaphors.
Place
Place attachment
:

:
Place is a unit of environmental experience.
Psychologicalbonding to an environment.
I
: It is that particular structure of the self-
identity of the individual that consists of
ideas, beliefs, memories, feelings and
attitudes about spaces, places and their

Perceived control : We belief that we can influence the things

that are happening to us. I

perceived by human behaviour.

Perception : The process by which one can extract
meaning from the complex stimuli which
we encounter in everyday life.
Personal space : A body buffer zone that people maintain
between themselves and others.
 An interpersonal boundary processes by Environmental Percepti~
and Cognitit
which people regulate interaction with
others.
The behavioural and emotional
components to the stress model.
Manipulations that vary group size while
keeping area constant.
The feeling that one is cared about and
valued by other people.
A set of behaviours and cognitions an
organism or a group exhibits which mainly
based on perceived ownership of physical
space or geographical area.

2.15 SUGGESTED READINGS

Bell. P.A., Greene, T.C., Fisher, J.D. and Baum, A. (2001). Environmental
Psychology, Fifth Edition, Harcourt College Publishers.
Bonnes, M. Secchiaroli, G. (1995). Environmental Psychology - A Psycho-
Social Introduction, Sage Publication.
Cassidy, T. (1997). Environmental Psychology, Psychology Press.