What Is Environmental Psychology?

Environmental psychology is the study of how physical settings shape what people think, feel, and do. It looks at the effects of rooms, buildings, neighborhoods, cities, and natural places on attention, stress, social behavior, performance, and decision-making.

This lesson introduces the field’s core idea: people do not respond only to other people or to internal traits; they also respond to the environmental cues around them. That makes environmental psychology useful for design, health, education, workplaces, public spaces, and policy.

We will define the field, distinguish it from related disciplines, and preview the kinds of questions environmental psychologists ask. Later lessons will go deeper into specific settings, theories, and design strategies.