ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY AND ERGONOMICS NOTES
Human Behavior and the Interior Environment
This section examines the relationship between individuals and their environment—how they perceive
space and how they react to it. Perception of one's environment is affected by sociological needs,
psychological state, and individual differences. The environment itself also influences human behavior.
Both mental and physical stimuli affect behavioral responses.
In this chapter material is presented which will help the reader to be more aware of the matters which
affect the occupants of a space.
Sociological Human Need
People's perception of their environment influences their social interaction within that environment.
Social interaction can be discussed in terms of four concepts: privacy, personal interaction levels,
territoriality, and crowding.
Privacy is a central regulatory human process by which persons make themselves more or less
accessible to others. In an office environment, privacy may be manipulated through the use of partitions
which protect the individual from physical, visual and acoustical intrusion. The plan of an office
environment establishes the privacy level at which the office functions.
Definition of an individual's interaction levels is one mechanism used in achieving a desired level of
privacy. Besides needing enough space to move about and perform various tasks, each person moves
within a domain that expands and contracts to meet individual needs and social circumstances. The size
of a space determines perceptions, experiences, and uses of that
particular environment. People inherently discern their relationship with others in terms of distances, or
spaces, between them. Edward T. Hall defines four distinct distances at which interpersonal
transactions normally take place. These are categorized as intimate, personal, social, and public
· Intimate space is that area immediately surrounding the individual’s body. This area is the most
private and involves both physical and emotional interactions.
· Personal space is that area within which a person allows only select friends, or fellow workers with
whom personal conversation is mandatory.
· Social space is that area within which the individual expects to make purely social contacts on a
temporary basis.
· Public space is that area within which the individual does not expect to have direct contact with
others. The more intimate the spatial relationship, the more people resist intrusion by others. Personal
space factors are important in establishing privacy requirements for interior design.
Territoriality is a means of achieving a desired level of privacy. It involves the exclusive control of a
space by an individual or group. This control implies privileges and may involve aggressive actions in
its defense. For the individual, territorial control provides security and identity and is communicated
through personalization and definition.
Crowding occurs when personal space and territoriality mechanisms function ineffectively, resulting in
an excess of undesired external social contact. Sociologically, people respond to crowding in different
ways depending upon the situation. Sometimes humans tolerate crowding, though it may be unpleasant,
because they know it is only temporary. In some situations crowding may be considered desirable, it
may even be sought after if it is perceived as "part of the fun" or the expectation within a social setting.
1
,In either situation, however, psychological discomfort may be experienced if the crowding is perceived
as too confining.
Psychological Human Response
Responses to the environment are complex and best understood in terms of three psychological stages
of human behavior: perception, cognition, and spatial behavior.
Perception of the environment, in its most strict sense, refers to the process of becoming aware of a
space by the acquisition of information through the sensations of sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste.
Cognition is the mental processing of this sensory information. This may involve the activities of
thinking about, remembering, or evaluating the information. Spatial behavior refers to responses and
reactions to the environmental information acquired through perception and cognition. The designer
creates environmental stimuli to direct these psychological stages as well as the secondary processes of
motivation, effect and development.
Environmental expectations, another determining element to be considered by the interior designer,
are developed over time through experience and interaction with the environment. Sensations, in
combination with expectations of the environment, define one’s perception
of a space.
Perception and Aesthetic
As stated above, perception of the environment, and consequently the aesthetic appeal of that
environment, involves the acquisition of information through our five senses. A person’s experience in
the environment is very complex. Individual differences such as sex, age and health, to name a few, are
important determinants of behavioral responses to an environment. The designer must take into
consideration the individuality of various occupants of an environment, their likes, dislikes and
personal histories.
Color proves to be an important factor in the perception of an environment’s aesthetic. If used carefully
and skillfully, it can positively influence mood and behavior. A full range of psychological and
emotional effects can be achieved through use of color. Color selection is an integral part of any project
design, whether painting walls, installing floor coverings, upholstering furniture, or selecting art, plants,
or graphics. Perception of the relative size and appearance of a space is often related to color. The
following are some generalities to remember about color, human perception and aesthetics.
· Certain colors may make a space appear larger than it actually is, while others cause spaces to appear
smaller.
· Certain colors may cause a space to seem warm, while others may make it seem cold.
· Colors have a definite effect on the mood of the observer. Some colors are stimulating, others are
relaxing.
· Colors that clash with each other may produce feelings of irritation or uneasiness.
Human Response to the Interior Environment
Each person responds uniquely when confronted with a specific situation or experience. These
responses fall into three categories—sociological, psychological and physiological—all of which are
influenced by factors within the interior environment.
Sociological determinants relate to the social needs and problems of the occupants. Factors that
pertain to these sociological responses, including group dynamics and communication, should be
considered during planning.
2
,Group dynamics (the interpersonal relationships among members of a small group) are a result of the
personality and cultural backgrounds of the individuals involved, their task, and the nature of the
physical setting. Spatial arrangements in small groups are functions of environment, task, and
personality. Various cultures respond differently to the amount and arrangement of space.
In determining the physical arrangement of an interior space, the interaction distances between work
groups and the tasks to be performed are very important to successful communication and social
relationships. The study of small group ecology is important not only from the standpoint of
understanding the impact of social relationships, but also from the practical standpoint of designing and
maintaining a variety of functional spaces in which various relationships can be fostered.
Studies of communication reveal that, in conversation, people prefer to sit across from one another
rather than side by side. If the distance between conversing people becomes too great however, they
will usually choose to sit side by side rather than across from one another.
The scale of a room—it's size relative to the occupants— also influences conversational distance. As
room scale diminishes, people tend to sit closer together. Likewise, increased noise levels and
distractions drive people to sit closer together.
Psychological determinants in the planning of an interior environment relate to the psychological
needs and concerns of the occupants. Visual privacy, acoustic privacy, and aesthetic factors are key
determinants to be considered.
Visual privacy addresses the ability to limit other's view of oneself. Inherent in human behavior is the
tendency to avoid situations in which one can be watched without being aware of who is watching.
Visual privacy can be achieved through the use of furnishings, partitions or walls. In a private space or
an office, people will often orient their desk in order to visually control the doorway and achieve a
visually private space on one side of the desk. Similarly, people prefer to sit with a protected back,
controlling the area they cannot see directly. In restaurants, the first seats to be filled are usually those
along the walls. In outdoor spaces, people tend to sit against or beside objects such as trees and bushes
rather than in the open.
Acoustic privacy in an interior space results from effective treatment of the acoustic environment as an
interrelationship of many components: ceiling, partitions, furniture, equipment, and floor. A complete
acoustic system will generally provide adequate speech privacy. Speech privacy is achieved when there
is sufficient acoustic shielding to allow conversation to be unheard beyond the participants of the
conversation. A high quality of speech privacy will contribute significantly to a desirable level of
communication, social interaction, and productivity. An appropriate relationship between background
noise and that produced within the activity space is conducive to speech privacy.
Aesthetic appreciation is both expressed in and influenced by the environment. To define aesthetic
qualities, the designer needs to understand that the concept of beauty differs with time and place,
purpose and context. Values captured under the label "aesthetic" can best be understood at a universally
comprehensible level. These aspects of a design go beyond the functional and constructional concerns,
and are associated with the specific way the design presents itself to the human senses. The designer
uses an object to serve some need or want. When we look at an object, its physical appearance causes a
sensory experience in us above and beyond its mere utility. The designer’s appreciation of this
experience helps him to communicate his intent and understanding to the user.
3
, Physiological determinants relate to physical needs of the occupants. Factors to be considered during
the planning phase that deal with physiological responses include functionality, ergonomics, life safety,
and health concerns.
Functional efficiency relates to the degree to which physiological needs are supported in the interior
space plan. These needs, which are physical in nature, relate to human body requirements. Interior
environments must respond to basic human functional needs—vision, hearing, stability, and mobility—
to achieve both comfort and efficiency.
The ability to comprehend one's environment as well as to perform tasks within it are strongly
dependent upon vision. The critical variables in human vision are visibility, legibility and recognition.
Hearing is critical because it not only affects ability to communicate but also the general capacity to
perform other tasks. The critical variables in human hearing are audibility, intelligibility, signal-to-
noise ratio, and noise annoyance. Stability refers to elements that support individuals as they walk and
move about or perform functional or manipulative tasks. Some of the elements that need to be
considered in terms of mobility include slope of floors,
width of walkways, depth of stair treads, location of handrails, and height of door thresholds. All
physiological needs affect how a person perceives and reacts to an environment. When these needs are
appropriately met, the user will perceive the environment as successful.
Studies show that a worker’s productivity increases with an improved environment. Emphasis upon the
following specific environmental conditions contribute to improved worker efficiency.
· Proper illumination for each task.
· A suitable acoustic environment that allows ease of communication, limited intrusive noise (and
resultant distraction), and protection from ear damage where appropriate.
· Human/facility interface features designed to be used within human mobility and strength limits.
(Special attention should be given to the removal of accessibility barriers for the handicapped worker.)
· Physical features of the facility that are compatible with typical human expectations and
comprehension.
· A plan that conserves human energy.
· An environment that allows workers to function within their most productive range of motion.
Ergonomic design recognizes that the environment significantly influences and impacts human
behavior. Each aspect of the interior design—including space, furnishings, and environmental variables
such as temperature, sound, humidity, and ventilation—needs to be carefully assessed in terms of its
compatibility with the purpose for which it is intended: to conform to the human body. The challenge is
to plan for the intended activities, furnishings, and finishes that are appropriate for the purpose of the
expected user. Ergonomics combines anthropometrics (human body measurement data), physiology,
and psychology in response to the needs of the user in the environment. This data is used by the
designer to create interior designs which are both humanistic and functional in nature.
Life safety and health concerns are primarily focused on human response to negative stimuli; the
natural responses when an individual sense danger—generally referred to as fight or flight. Life safety
centers on the ability of an individual to vacate a facility in a timely manner when necessary. Generally
this is accomplished through an assurance of adequate travel path capacity for the occupants of the
space, and a clear indication of a safe means of egress. In a panic or emergency situation, people
generally do not have the opportunity to decipher codes which may indicate safe passage at an abstract
4
Human Behavior and the Interior Environment
This section examines the relationship between individuals and their environment—how they perceive
space and how they react to it. Perception of one's environment is affected by sociological needs,
psychological state, and individual differences. The environment itself also influences human behavior.
Both mental and physical stimuli affect behavioral responses.
In this chapter material is presented which will help the reader to be more aware of the matters which
affect the occupants of a space.
Sociological Human Need
People's perception of their environment influences their social interaction within that environment.
Social interaction can be discussed in terms of four concepts: privacy, personal interaction levels,
territoriality, and crowding.
Privacy is a central regulatory human process by which persons make themselves more or less
accessible to others. In an office environment, privacy may be manipulated through the use of partitions
which protect the individual from physical, visual and acoustical intrusion. The plan of an office
environment establishes the privacy level at which the office functions.
Definition of an individual's interaction levels is one mechanism used in achieving a desired level of
privacy. Besides needing enough space to move about and perform various tasks, each person moves
within a domain that expands and contracts to meet individual needs and social circumstances. The size
of a space determines perceptions, experiences, and uses of that
particular environment. People inherently discern their relationship with others in terms of distances, or
spaces, between them. Edward T. Hall defines four distinct distances at which interpersonal
transactions normally take place. These are categorized as intimate, personal, social, and public
· Intimate space is that area immediately surrounding the individual’s body. This area is the most
private and involves both physical and emotional interactions.
· Personal space is that area within which a person allows only select friends, or fellow workers with
whom personal conversation is mandatory.
· Social space is that area within which the individual expects to make purely social contacts on a
temporary basis.
· Public space is that area within which the individual does not expect to have direct contact with
others. The more intimate the spatial relationship, the more people resist intrusion by others. Personal
space factors are important in establishing privacy requirements for interior design.
Territoriality is a means of achieving a desired level of privacy. It involves the exclusive control of a
space by an individual or group. This control implies privileges and may involve aggressive actions in
its defense. For the individual, territorial control provides security and identity and is communicated
through personalization and definition.
Crowding occurs when personal space and territoriality mechanisms function ineffectively, resulting in
an excess of undesired external social contact. Sociologically, people respond to crowding in different
ways depending upon the situation. Sometimes humans tolerate crowding, though it may be unpleasant,
because they know it is only temporary. In some situations crowding may be considered desirable, it
may even be sought after if it is perceived as "part of the fun" or the expectation within a social setting.
1
,In either situation, however, psychological discomfort may be experienced if the crowding is perceived
as too confining.
Psychological Human Response
Responses to the environment are complex and best understood in terms of three psychological stages
of human behavior: perception, cognition, and spatial behavior.
Perception of the environment, in its most strict sense, refers to the process of becoming aware of a
space by the acquisition of information through the sensations of sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste.
Cognition is the mental processing of this sensory information. This may involve the activities of
thinking about, remembering, or evaluating the information. Spatial behavior refers to responses and
reactions to the environmental information acquired through perception and cognition. The designer
creates environmental stimuli to direct these psychological stages as well as the secondary processes of
motivation, effect and development.
Environmental expectations, another determining element to be considered by the interior designer,
are developed over time through experience and interaction with the environment. Sensations, in
combination with expectations of the environment, define one’s perception
of a space.
Perception and Aesthetic
As stated above, perception of the environment, and consequently the aesthetic appeal of that
environment, involves the acquisition of information through our five senses. A person’s experience in
the environment is very complex. Individual differences such as sex, age and health, to name a few, are
important determinants of behavioral responses to an environment. The designer must take into
consideration the individuality of various occupants of an environment, their likes, dislikes and
personal histories.
Color proves to be an important factor in the perception of an environment’s aesthetic. If used carefully
and skillfully, it can positively influence mood and behavior. A full range of psychological and
emotional effects can be achieved through use of color. Color selection is an integral part of any project
design, whether painting walls, installing floor coverings, upholstering furniture, or selecting art, plants,
or graphics. Perception of the relative size and appearance of a space is often related to color. The
following are some generalities to remember about color, human perception and aesthetics.
· Certain colors may make a space appear larger than it actually is, while others cause spaces to appear
smaller.
· Certain colors may cause a space to seem warm, while others may make it seem cold.
· Colors have a definite effect on the mood of the observer. Some colors are stimulating, others are
relaxing.
· Colors that clash with each other may produce feelings of irritation or uneasiness.
Human Response to the Interior Environment
Each person responds uniquely when confronted with a specific situation or experience. These
responses fall into three categories—sociological, psychological and physiological—all of which are
influenced by factors within the interior environment.
Sociological determinants relate to the social needs and problems of the occupants. Factors that
pertain to these sociological responses, including group dynamics and communication, should be
considered during planning.
2
,Group dynamics (the interpersonal relationships among members of a small group) are a result of the
personality and cultural backgrounds of the individuals involved, their task, and the nature of the
physical setting. Spatial arrangements in small groups are functions of environment, task, and
personality. Various cultures respond differently to the amount and arrangement of space.
In determining the physical arrangement of an interior space, the interaction distances between work
groups and the tasks to be performed are very important to successful communication and social
relationships. The study of small group ecology is important not only from the standpoint of
understanding the impact of social relationships, but also from the practical standpoint of designing and
maintaining a variety of functional spaces in which various relationships can be fostered.
Studies of communication reveal that, in conversation, people prefer to sit across from one another
rather than side by side. If the distance between conversing people becomes too great however, they
will usually choose to sit side by side rather than across from one another.
The scale of a room—it's size relative to the occupants— also influences conversational distance. As
room scale diminishes, people tend to sit closer together. Likewise, increased noise levels and
distractions drive people to sit closer together.
Psychological determinants in the planning of an interior environment relate to the psychological
needs and concerns of the occupants. Visual privacy, acoustic privacy, and aesthetic factors are key
determinants to be considered.
Visual privacy addresses the ability to limit other's view of oneself. Inherent in human behavior is the
tendency to avoid situations in which one can be watched without being aware of who is watching.
Visual privacy can be achieved through the use of furnishings, partitions or walls. In a private space or
an office, people will often orient their desk in order to visually control the doorway and achieve a
visually private space on one side of the desk. Similarly, people prefer to sit with a protected back,
controlling the area they cannot see directly. In restaurants, the first seats to be filled are usually those
along the walls. In outdoor spaces, people tend to sit against or beside objects such as trees and bushes
rather than in the open.
Acoustic privacy in an interior space results from effective treatment of the acoustic environment as an
interrelationship of many components: ceiling, partitions, furniture, equipment, and floor. A complete
acoustic system will generally provide adequate speech privacy. Speech privacy is achieved when there
is sufficient acoustic shielding to allow conversation to be unheard beyond the participants of the
conversation. A high quality of speech privacy will contribute significantly to a desirable level of
communication, social interaction, and productivity. An appropriate relationship between background
noise and that produced within the activity space is conducive to speech privacy.
Aesthetic appreciation is both expressed in and influenced by the environment. To define aesthetic
qualities, the designer needs to understand that the concept of beauty differs with time and place,
purpose and context. Values captured under the label "aesthetic" can best be understood at a universally
comprehensible level. These aspects of a design go beyond the functional and constructional concerns,
and are associated with the specific way the design presents itself to the human senses. The designer
uses an object to serve some need or want. When we look at an object, its physical appearance causes a
sensory experience in us above and beyond its mere utility. The designer’s appreciation of this
experience helps him to communicate his intent and understanding to the user.
3
, Physiological determinants relate to physical needs of the occupants. Factors to be considered during
the planning phase that deal with physiological responses include functionality, ergonomics, life safety,
and health concerns.
Functional efficiency relates to the degree to which physiological needs are supported in the interior
space plan. These needs, which are physical in nature, relate to human body requirements. Interior
environments must respond to basic human functional needs—vision, hearing, stability, and mobility—
to achieve both comfort and efficiency.
The ability to comprehend one's environment as well as to perform tasks within it are strongly
dependent upon vision. The critical variables in human vision are visibility, legibility and recognition.
Hearing is critical because it not only affects ability to communicate but also the general capacity to
perform other tasks. The critical variables in human hearing are audibility, intelligibility, signal-to-
noise ratio, and noise annoyance. Stability refers to elements that support individuals as they walk and
move about or perform functional or manipulative tasks. Some of the elements that need to be
considered in terms of mobility include slope of floors,
width of walkways, depth of stair treads, location of handrails, and height of door thresholds. All
physiological needs affect how a person perceives and reacts to an environment. When these needs are
appropriately met, the user will perceive the environment as successful.
Studies show that a worker’s productivity increases with an improved environment. Emphasis upon the
following specific environmental conditions contribute to improved worker efficiency.
· Proper illumination for each task.
· A suitable acoustic environment that allows ease of communication, limited intrusive noise (and
resultant distraction), and protection from ear damage where appropriate.
· Human/facility interface features designed to be used within human mobility and strength limits.
(Special attention should be given to the removal of accessibility barriers for the handicapped worker.)
· Physical features of the facility that are compatible with typical human expectations and
comprehension.
· A plan that conserves human energy.
· An environment that allows workers to function within their most productive range of motion.
Ergonomic design recognizes that the environment significantly influences and impacts human
behavior. Each aspect of the interior design—including space, furnishings, and environmental variables
such as temperature, sound, humidity, and ventilation—needs to be carefully assessed in terms of its
compatibility with the purpose for which it is intended: to conform to the human body. The challenge is
to plan for the intended activities, furnishings, and finishes that are appropriate for the purpose of the
expected user. Ergonomics combines anthropometrics (human body measurement data), physiology,
and psychology in response to the needs of the user in the environment. This data is used by the
designer to create interior designs which are both humanistic and functional in nature.
Life safety and health concerns are primarily focused on human response to negative stimuli; the
natural responses when an individual sense danger—generally referred to as fight or flight. Life safety
centers on the ability of an individual to vacate a facility in a timely manner when necessary. Generally
this is accomplished through an assurance of adequate travel path capacity for the occupants of the
space, and a clear indication of a safe means of egress. In a panic or emergency situation, people
generally do not have the opportunity to decipher codes which may indicate safe passage at an abstract
4
