An environmental psychologist’s job may include conducting interviews.
An environmental psychologist studies the effects that a person’s environment has on their mental state, and environmental psychologists’ findings are used to formulate plans and processes that will allow people to feel comfortable and well in their work or social environment. Certain colors, for example, evoke different emotional states. This knowledge is used to enable employers, hospitals, or retailers to generate a response, whether the desired effect is calm, content, or energized.
However, the field is not limited to decoration issues. Sound, smell, and temperature influence how effectively the desired reaction is achieved. For example, classrooms can be designed to facilitate learning through the natural responses of the mind and body to the environment. In many ways, the environmental psychologist does for the mind what an ergonomist does for the body. He or she helps design objects that work more efficiently for the user.
Psychologists usually have a doctorate in psychology, but the work of an environmental psychologist requires that their training be multidisciplinary. Social sciences, architecture, and natural sciences feature prominently in the field. A person with multiple degrees can work as an environmental psychologist, although beginning in the 1970s in Britain, some universities began to establish degree programs in this field.
An environmental psychologist’s job description features many research-oriented tasks. In addition to data analysis, the psychologist must be able to communicate this analysis to policy and decision makers. He or she must also be knowledgeable about construction techniques and be able to accurately make recommendations based on feasibility and cost.
Conducting interviews and reviewing plans may also be part of the typical duties of an environmental psychologist. Experimentation may be necessary in seeking to improve or adjust existing environmental features. The psychologist also needs to be available for public forums if civic and municipal projects are affected by her findings. As in other health professions, continuing education is necessary.
The growing awareness that the environment can affect people in unintended ways, coupled with the desire to address social and environmental problems, indicates that this field will grow. Environmental psychologists are needed in the corporate and government sectors to help create healthier environments for populations to live and work. It is becoming an increasingly valuable role in the modern world.