Japanese Journal of Environmental Psychology
Online ISSN : 2189-1427
ISSN-L : 2189-1427
Volume 1, Issue 1
Displaying 1-21 of 21 articles from this issue
Original Articles
  • Viewpoints and methodologies
    Hirohiko Ohta
    2013 Volume 1 Issue 1 Pages 4-11
    Published: 2013
    Released on J-STAGE: January 31, 2017
    JOURNAL OPEN ACCESS
    Referring the definition of environmental psychology, the author introduced the historical processes of the birth of both narrow sensed ‘environmental psychology’ and broader ‘interdisciplinary’ one. Then the author mentioned about the intentional scope of environmental psychology, and outlined scholarly viewpoints and methodologies of environmental psychology with citing landscape studies as concrete examples. In landscape studies researchers stand on various kinds of viewpoint and adopt certain methodology according to each stance and taste. The future of environmental psychology must be examined in consideration for the concept of transaction between man and environment, that was advocated for the conquer of the interactional viewpoint analyzing causes and effects.
    Download PDF (1017K)
  • Present and future studies
    Kazunori Hanyu
    2013 Volume 1 Issue 1 Pages 12-18
    Published: 2013
    Released on J-STAGE: January 31, 2017
    JOURNAL OPEN ACCESS
    Environmental representation has often been referred to as cognitive map. However, a cognitive map is not a cartographic map in mind. Cognitive maps have both analogical and propositional features. When needed, a cognitive map is temporarily generated from pieces of environmental information/representations based on direct and indirect experiences with the environment. With regard to direct experiences, visual information including optic flow plays an important role, and kinesthesis and the feeling of fatigue as a result, and proprioceptive feedback also provide information. In spatial behavior in environments, explicit cognitive processing such as cognitive mapping and quantitative distance estimation can be adopted but default decisions or implicit processing based on the sense of elapsed time, optic flow, kinesthesis, and the sense of fatigue are often used in well-known environments. Further, affect such as the sense of fatigue and unpleasant influence environmental cognition and can plays a dominant role under uncertain situations. Few studies have examined environmental cognition as this complex system, and the future studies are required.
    Download PDF (841K)
  • Susumu Ohnuma
    2013 Volume 1 Issue 1 Pages 19-26
    Published: 2013
    Released on J-STAGE: January 31, 2017
    JOURNAL OPEN ACCESS
    This article begins with the introduction of historical background of studies in pro-environmental behavior, referring two streams: attitude studies and social dilemma studies. Next, some major models about pro- environmental behavior are introduced with briefly explaining some constructs often used. Most of the models are assumed behavioral intention, which had taken light of unintentional behavior. Hence, a new model called dual process model is introduced, which suggests that behavior is not always affected by intention. Following the models, practical field studies are introduced. It is emphasized that, In the field studies, not only psychological variables but also behavioral contexts and influence of surroundings should be included. Since practical works are required to resolve concretely the actual problems, the idea of action research should be understood. Field studies are better to discover the hypothesis rather than to verify the hypothesis. Finally, it is noted that the research viewing from micro to macro is needed in the future.
    Download PDF (1034K)
  • Sonomi Hirata, Darrel L. Fisher
    2013 Volume 1 Issue 1 Pages 27-37
    Published: 2013
    Released on J-STAGE: January 31, 2017
    JOURNAL OPEN ACCESS
    Approaches of environmental psychology to assessing the classroom environment can be classified into two major schools; the ecological and the cognitive. Both of them have their origin in Lewin's formula; B=f (P, E). In early days of the cognitive school, Murray's Need-Press model made a striking contribution to the concept of person-environment fit by furthering the fundamental framework of the corresponding relationship between persons and the environment. Subsequently, Stern and Hunt developed a theory of person-environment fit. Numerous studies have shown that the congruence of students' preferred-actual environment (person-environment fit) at the class level relates to student positive achievement. In early ecological school studies, Barker and Wright found the place specificity of behavior, namely behavior settings. It is defined that effective learning would arise from synomorphy, that is the similarity in shape between standing patterns of behavior and the physical milieu. Finally, for reactivating the learning environment research in environmental psychology, we discuss future studies, such as the instruments for a technology-rich learning environment, learner's individual differences, and the paradigm shift of environment-behavior research from interaction to transaction.
    Download PDF (750K)
  • Preference, connectedness, and restorativeness
    Seiji Shibata
    2013 Volume 1 Issue 1 Pages 38-45
    Published: 2013
    Released on J-STAGE: January 31, 2017
    JOURNAL OPEN ACCESS
    Over the past few years, the number of psychology studies focusing on human-nature relationships has been largely increasing. These studies can be grouped into 3 categories on the basis of their topics: (a) preferences for natural scenery, (b) the sense of connectedness with nature and its relationship with pro-environmental behaviors and attitudes, and (c) psycho-physiological effects of nature experiences. Preference for natural scenes is a relatively old topic in this area of research. In many studies, people's preference for certain natural environments is often explained from an evolutionary perspective. In contrast, connectedness with nature is a new concept that has recently become popular. With regard to the benefits of exposure to nature, the restorative effects of such exposure, such as improved recovery from mental fatigue, have attracted attention over the years. In this article, I provided an overview of this area of research and discussed its current problems and future directions.
    Download PDF (908K)
  • Toward the integration of cause of crime and opportunity of crime
    Takahito Shimada
    2013 Volume 1 Issue 1 Pages 46-57
    Published: 2013
    Released on J-STAGE: January 31, 2017
    JOURNAL OPEN ACCESS
    Crime research can be classified into "e;cause of crime"e; school and "e;crime opportunity"e; school. Environmental perspectives play an important role for both schools. The paper examines the transition between the schools and the scales in "e;crime and environment"e; research. The focus of the research shifted from cause of crime to opportunity of crime, with a change of scale from macro to micro. Recently, the research discussed on environment on offense and victimization in maso scale of neighborhood and community. The paper also introduces two recent methodological advances. Hierarchical linear modeling enables us to examine the effects of macro-level causes on micro-level outcomes, as well as cross-level interaction. Geographic Information Science enables us to examine spatial dynamics of crime as well as routine activities of potential offenders and victims. Finally, the author discusses the role of environmental psychology to integrate two different views of cause of crime and opportunity of crime.
    Download PDF (1386K)
  • Place attachement, place identity and a sense of place
    Hana Oya
    2013 Volume 1 Issue 1 Pages 58-66
    Published: 2013
    Released on J-STAGE: January 31, 2017
    JOURNAL OPEN ACCESS
    This review focuses on three constructions regarding the connection between people and places in daily life. 1) Place attachment is an affective bond an individual has with a specific place, and with loss of it one would be disrupted. Several dimensions were extracted, and a layer structure was assumed Insideness would generate attachment to one's habitat. 2) There is place identity if one defines one's self in terms of the place. In other disciplines like human geography, the words place identity refer to the spirit or features of a community. 3) A sense of place means in the simplest terms the ability to recognize the meaning of a place, although it is underpinned with the physical feature of the place, the social context and the stream of time from ancestry of the community. While it happens to all of us, having an affective bond with a specific place is critical to create and maintain our identity.
    Download PDF (1346K)
Proceedings of JSEP
feedback
Top