What is Environmental Psychology?

According to the APS, environmental psychology is "the study of transactions between individuals and their physical settings". In other words, it is concerned with how individuals change the environment around them, and how their behaviour and experiences are then changed by the environment. The psychological aspect of environmentalism comes into play through theory, research, and studies that aim to improve humans' relationship with the natural environment.

What does this have to do with park cleanups and littering? Littering, despite being an unethical act, is very prevalent due to its psychological appeal. There are many theories of motivation that would explain why people decide to throw trash on the ground, such as the short-term conveniences of doing so. However, this can be combatted using environmental psychology to study what possible solutions there are to these problems. For example, would stricter regulations and laws work, or would messaging and public advocacy prove effective to convince citizens?

Only time and greater research into this field, especially for applications such as anti-littering, will yield results. But one thing is for sure: when dealing with environmental issues, we must consider the most important actors -- humans themselves.

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