Creating a larger role for environmental psychology: The Reasonable Person Model as an integrative framework

We argue that the environment, broadly construed, has a profound effect on human cognition, action, and well-being. If this is true, then the field of environmental psychology has a far larger potential to aid humanity than is generally realized. We suggest that the field would be more likely to ach...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of environmental psychology 2009-09, Vol.29 (3), p.329-339
Main Authors: Kaplan, Stephen, Kaplan, Rachel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cognition
Cognitive map
Environmental psychology
Human needs
Humanities
Participation
Psychological restoration
Psychology
Reasonable Person Model
Wellbeing
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Summary:We argue that the environment, broadly construed, has a profound effect on human cognition, action, and well-being. If this is true, then the field of environmental psychology has a far larger potential to aid humanity than is generally realized. We suggest that the field would be more likely to achieve this potential if it viewed environments from the perspective of human informational needs, and focused on environmental/informational patterns that have the potential to make it easier for people to help themselves. Further, achieving such benefits could be greatly enhanced by taking advantage of the many opportunities available for collaborating with researchers in other areas of psychology. The reasonable person model is offered as a perspective that could facilitate moving in these various new directions while taking advantage of the considerable existent knowledge about human–environment interactions that is currently underappreciated.
ISSN:0272-4944
1522-9610
DOI:10.1016/j.jenvp.2008.10.005