Course Information

The course covers subjects such as perception, cognition, personal space, privacy, territoriality, crowding, wayfinding and spatial orientation and aims to improve students' knowledge about human behavior, people and their interaction with the environment (interior/exterior). Examination of the interrelationship between environments and human behavior is among the objectives of the course. Definition of the terms including environment, natural environment, social settings, built environments, learning environments and informational environments.

Week
Topic(s)
1
Introduction: space, human behavior, design
2
Scope of environmental psychology: history, theories, research methods
3
History of environmental psychology: human evolution and adaptation to the environment
QUIZ1
4
Theories and research methods: Barker, Maslow, observation, interview, simulation
QUIZ2
5
Human behavior: fundamental processes, Environmental Attitudes, Appraisals and Assessments
QUIZ3
6
Spatial behavior: elements of environmental perception, legibility, orientation, way finding
7
MIDTERM
8
Cognitive process: perception and cognition, cognitive mapping,  information processing
9
Privacy, territoriality, density, crowding, control
QUIZ4
10
Socio-economic aspects: status, wealth, age, gender
11
Cultural aspects: gender, age, country, cultural background
QUIZ5
12
Technological aspects: virtual environments, interpretation of information transportation, new materials
13
Design aspects: impact of human need on design, impact of design on human behavior
14
Future implications