Psychology 125: Environment

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Psychology 125 Environment BehaviorMarc
B. Goldstein, Ph.D.

• .

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Today ? Course overview ? My
background ? My expectations
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But first, an exercise in wayfinding . . .
How do we find our way around?
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Course Overview

• Environment Behavior is a course
• on environmental psychology
• Environmental Psychology is the
• study of the transactions between
• people and their physical settings

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How is environmental psychology different from
other types of psychology?
B f(P x E) Behavior is a function of the
interaction of the Person and the Environment
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Psychology has largely focused on the person side
of the equation
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This course will be looking more at the
environmental side
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What kinds of things do environmental
psychologists study?
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They study some of the basic processes of how
people interact with their environment.For
example . . .
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• Personal Space

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Crowding
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Privacy
Private Property
KEEP OUT!
Trespassers will be eaten! H. Lector
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Territoriality
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Environmental psychologists alsoexamine the
specific settings where people live, learn, work
and play . . .
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Residential Settings
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Community Settings
Neighborhoods, urbanization and day-to-day life
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Educational settings
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Settings where we work . . .
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And Settings where we play . . .
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Goals of the course

• Increase your understanding of person-environment
  interactions
• Increase your appreciation of the impact of
  settings on behavior
• Give you some experience with computer technology

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Some Nuts Bolts about the course . . .
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A stroll through the syllabus
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Course Process
Lectures
Individual/group activities discussions
Group presentation
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Course Prerequisites

• Very, Very, Very, Very, Very
• Very,Very, Very Very
• Important!
• You must have taken Psychology 112, Introductory
  Psychology

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Readings

• No textbook is required
• All required readings will be put online or on
  reserve at the library
• Online readings are password protected Password
  (get from instructor)
• Recommended text is Robert Bechtel, Environment
  Behavior An Introduction
• A limited number of these books are available at
  the campus book store (Barnes Noble) or The
  Other Bookstore, 1535 Stanley Street

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What do you need to do to pass this course?
What are the course requirements?
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Show up!!
70 of life is just showing up
--Woody Allen, in Annie Hall
You will lose 3 points for each unexcused absence.
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Take 3 essay exams (each worth 15 of your
grade) Essay questions will be based on class
material, required readings and student
PowerPoint presentations
A list of essay questions will be distributed
before each exam. Some will be the actual exam
questions. You can bring in any notes you wish
written on the back of the question list.
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Activity Sheets (45 of grade)

• Approximately one for each topic
• Will involve web site work, in- or out-of-class
  observation and/or personal reflection on topic
• 3. Submitted multiple times during the semester

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Group Project (10 of final grade)
A PowerPoint Presentation on a research article
related to the course.
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Legal Boilerplate Stuff

• Plagiarism
• Cheating

Dont Do It!!!
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The Web Site
www.psychology.ccsu/goldstein/course_page_Psy
_125.htm
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About Me
Education B.A. (69) Syracuse
University (Psychology) M.A., Ph.D. (78)
University of Michigan
(Community
Psychology) (Been at CCSU since 1978)
Research Interests Program Evaluation
Prevention of Substance Abuse Environmental
Assessment Community Organization and
Development
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My family Carol Michael Mark Adam
Scott
Cassie
Schnitzel
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Personal Interests hiking, bicycling
amateur radio (K8LSB) most kinds of music
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My expectations of students

• Be proactive (participate in class discussions)
• Be on time for class
• Ask questions when you dont understand
• Turn in assignments/take exams on schedule
• Shut off beepers/pagers

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For Next Class

• 1. Read assigned reading
• 2. Review syllabus identify any questions or
  concerns you have
• 3. Send me an e-mail telling me ? Your name
• ? Class time (11 am or 2 pm)
• ? Whether or not you have Microsoft
  Powerpoint
• and if you do, what version
• ? of hits on the Psy 125 course page