5. PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF BUILT ENVIRONMENTS Flashcards
Cohen
Aim
Looked at the relationship between the floor level a child lived on and they reading ability
Lower= louder due to traffic
Cohen
Sample
54 children
Lived in Bridge apartments in NY
32-storey building
2-5 grade
Cohen
Results
+ve correlation between floor level + performance on tests. e.g. reading comprehension
Cohen
Suggestion
As reading ability at school can affect ability to learn, Cohen suggested living in a noisier area could have -ve effect on well-being
Lack self-confidence as not as good as peers
Impact on crime from a built up area
More likely due yo increased deindividuation (loss of self-awareness)
Diener
Deindividuation
1352 children, trick-or-treat experiment
2 bowls- sweets or money
Told to take one sweet, house owner rushes off out of sight
Children who were alone + those who had said their name + address, were less likely to the an extra sweet or steal money
Suggests anonymity from wearing a costume, being in a group and not disclosing name + address, deindividuated them and made them less likely to behave in a deviant way
White
Aim
Effect of green spaces on well-being
Longitudinal- 10,000 Ps, 1991-2008
White
Results
Ps living in greener areas reported less mental distress + higher life satisfaction
Ulrich
Aim
Investigate whether the view out of a hospital will affect patients recovery from gall bladder surgery
Green or not
Ulrich
Sample
MPD- 23 pairs- matched on age, gender, smoking status, etc
1/2 in green scenery (view of trees), other 1/2 brick wall
Ulrich
5 types of info
- length of hospitalisation
- number of analgesics
- number of anxiety medication
- minor complications requiring medication (e.g. headaches)
- nurses notes on Px
Ulrich
Results
Tree view= did better on all 5 measures
Ulrich
Conclusions
Support view that natural scenery can have therapeutic benefits
Location of hospital should be taken into account (aim for green view)
