Environmental Psychology 2022-2023
Preface
Dear student,
You are now reading the Environmental Psychology Lecture summary for the master Economic
and Consumer Psychology in Leiden. I put all the lecture notes you need to know for your exam
in this clear summary, so that you may study in the best possible way (2022, Dr. Niels van
Doesum). I would like to wish you good luck with studying!
Quality
In order to keep the quality of this summary as high as possible, I would very much appreciate
your feedback!
Copyright reserved
Studying together works well of course. Therefore, make your friends especially aware of this
summary. Reprinting and sharing the summary with third parties is of course prohibited. If you
want me to be able to keep offering summaries to you, do not give this report to third parties
and let your fellow students purchase a copy themselves!
I would like to wish you good luck with studying and passing your exams!
P.S. This summary is written in accordance with the author’s own perception. It is still a summary that
serves as an addition to the mandatory literature, not as a replacement!
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Lectures Dr. N. J. Van Doesum.
, Environmental Psychology 2022-2023
Table of Contents
Preface 1
Table of Contents 2
Information about the course 4
Chapter 1: Setting the Scene 5
1.1 Gifford (2013) 6
1.2 Gosling (2002) 7
1.3 Hardin (1968) 8
1.4 Meagher (2020) 9
1.5 Wohlwill (1970) 10
Chapter 2: Going to Town 12
1.1 Keizer, Lindenberg, Steg (2008) 13
1.2 Kuo & Sullivan (2001) 13
1.3 McCunn (2021) 14
1.4 Stanley Milgram (1970) 15
1.5 Moser & Corroyer (2001) 16
Chapter 3: Taking a Break 17
1.1 Kaplan (1995) 18
1.2 Collado, Staats, & Sorrel (2016) 18
1.3 Guéguen, & Stefan (2016) 20
1.4 Lederbogen (2011) 20
1.5 Ulrich (1984) 22
Guest Lecture 23
Chapter 4: Spatial Planning and Design 24
1.1 Devlin, Andrade, Carvalho (2016) 25
1.2 Evans, Kim (2007) 26
1.3 Evans, Lepore, Schroeder (1996) 27
1.4 Kaplan & Austin (2004) 27
1.5 Staats & Groot (2019) 28
Guest Lecture 29
Chapter 5: Acting Green 33
1.1 APA Task Force on Climate Change (2022) 34
1.2 Constantino (2022) 35
1.3 De Leeuw (2015) 36
1.4 Griskevicius (2012) 37
1.5 Thøgersen & Ölander (2006) 38
Guest Lecture 39
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Lectures Dr. N. J. Van Doesum.
, Environmental Psychology 2022-2023
Chapter 6: Sustainability Interventions 41
1.1 Poortinga & Whitaker (2018) 41
1.2 Schultz (2014) 42
1.3 Schultz (2007) 42
1.4 Staats (2004) 44
1.5 Van Horen, Van der Wal, & Grinstein (2018) 45
Chapter 7: Greening of Corporations 47
1.1 Bansal & Roth (2000) 47
1.2 Kotler (2011) 48
1.3 Meijerink & Stiller (2013) 49
1.4 Olsen, Slotegraaf, & Chandukala (2014) 50
1.5 Parry (2012) 50
Guest Lecture 51
Practice questions 53
Answers 54
Epilogue 55
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Lectures Dr. N. J. Van Doesum.
, Environmental Psychology 2022-2023
Information about the course
You are about to read the summary of one of the most feared courses in the Economic and
Consumer Psychology Curriculum. The reason is that the content is quite a lot to study, and
because this course requires quite a bit of reading. But don't worry, I have written this with the
aim to help you succeed. Environmental Psychology examines transactions between
individuals and their built and natural environments (Gifford, 2014, p. 541).
The exam
Your final mark for this course consists of one part:
● Exam (7 essay questions only): 100%
January 27, 2023; 9.00–11.00, USC
Resit: April 11, 2023; 13.00–15.00, USC
What is the best way to study?
Practicing is the key to a good grade for this exam. Because there are many ways in this course
to ask questions, with many possible variations, you should try to make as many practice
questions as possible so that you can train your intuition. This way you can answer the more
complicated questions of the exam.
What you should remember about the papers according to Dr. N. J. Van Doesum:
● Each research question: What did the researcher(s) want to know?
● Results: know which result was higher or lower (NOT exact numbers).
● Be precise and specific when naming examples (possibly from your OWN environment).
● It could help you to (kind of) know the names of researchers, but not necessary.
Layout of the course
The course is divided into various subjects. In the table below, these topics are shown in order
with the amount of papers you need to read. I didn’t focus on further readings in this summary.
I advise you to go through the entire summary for the best chance of a sufficient final
assessment.
Subject Readings Further readings
Setting the Scene 5 Papers 3 Papers
Going to Town 5 Papers 3 Papers
Taking a Break 5 Papers 3 Papers
Spatial Planning and Design 5 Papers 3 Papers
Acting Green 5 Papers 3 Papers
Sustainability Interventions 5 Papers 3 Papers
Greening of Corporations 5 Papers 3 Papers
Good luck with studying!
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Lectures Dr. N. J. Van Doesum.
, Environmental Psychology 2022-2023
Chapter 1: Setting the Scene
1.0 Introduction
This chapter corresponds to the first introduction lecture and five readings of week 1.
Specific attention in this course to:
1. The person in the environment.
● Attention to theories, methods, and research designs that take the physical
environment into account.
● Explicit attention to the way thoughts, feelings, and (social) behavior are caused,
influenced, or moderated by characteristics of the physical environment. And the other
way around.
2. Reciprocal relations between a person and different environments.
3. Social origin and meaning of human-environment interactions.
● Home; School; Neighborhood; Work; Prison; Park.
Green versus gray schoolyards “Het groene schoolplein”
● Greater well-being of children;
● Higher appreciation of the schoolyard;
● Less bullying;
● Better concentration levels for boys.
4. Opportunities to change for the better: Greater well-being and improvedenvironmental
quality by behavioral interventions.
● Change is possible: Local, National, International.
● Environmental problems: extremely complex and far-reaching problem. The
greenhouse effect is generally considered one of the largest environmental issues
globally.
Selected Significant Climate Analomies and Events: August 2022.
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Lectures Dr. N. J. Van Doesum.
