During the past couple of months I have been writing articles for Realty Times on various factors that influence real estate sales. Also during this time I have received emails complimenting the information that I’ve been passing along. But there is one question that seems to be in the majority of emails that I receive. This question is: “what is an Environmental Psychologists.” I chuckle every time I get this question because most people have never heard of an Environmental Psychologist. There are a couple of very good reason for this: the first is that there aren’t that many schools in this country that offer the degree, and the second is that this degree is usually at the doctorate level and appeals mostly to Architects or academia’s. Since Architects are licensed, they typically use that title, and information obtained from academia rarely reaches the average person. Hence, the field has been somewhat hidden from the mainstream. While I actually enjoy answering questions from readers, answering the same question as many times as I have indicates to me that it is time to write an article that demystifies the profession of Environmental Psychology.

First off, as I alluded, Environmental Psychology, to the best of my knowledge, is a degree that can only be obtained at the doctorate level. The degree itself is also limited to a handful of schools that offer the specialty as a stand-alone major. What I mean here is that only a few colleges and universities offer a specific degree in Environmental Psychology. Most schools have the specialty as a concentration in other departments such as architecture, social ecology, city planning, etc. Again, these programs are also sparsely found in American higher education. While I am not quite sure for the reason why Environmental Psychology programs are so sparse, I can make a guess that the effect of our environment on our health and behavior is still very much in it’s infancy. Having said this, it wouldn’t surprise me if in the near future more schools started to offer the program and even offer the program at the bachelors and masters level.

Environmental Psychology is a recognized field known to the American Psychological Association (APA) as Division 34. The best example that I can give of what Environmental Psychologists do is one that most of us have witnessed. Campuses such as a college, an urban park, or a business center will periodically have worn dirt paths that stray from the concrete sidewalks. Had an Environmental Psychologist been used in the development of those pathways, those worn trails probably would not have occurred because we would have studied the traffic flows first and then laid the concrete along the desired pathways. While this example is very basic, the field of Environmental Psychology is dedicated to the study of relationships between our environments and our behaviors. As this definition is very broad, so too are the interest of professionals who dedicate themselves to this field.

Some Environmental Psychologists dedicate their life’s work to the identification of environmental factors that facilitate greater healing or learning while others dedicate themselves to the discovery of what layout and merchandising designs most influence buying patterns. The emphasis I chose to pursue throughout my doctorate studies was Perception and Design. This means that I was trained specifically in how certain designs (decorating and layout) and perceptions influence our behaviors. While my academic training prepared me for careers relating to most built environments ranging from planned communities, office buildings, and private homes, my passion is in assisting the average person identify and develop utopian places. Hence, a great deal of my research is in the area of community perception and interior/exterior designs.

Specifically, I am interested in the environmental clues that suggest to an outsider that the community is safe or unsafe, desirable or undesirable, and/or suitable or unsuitable for specific and desired needs. As a practice, I work a lot with individuals to modify their personal spaces so that they are more in accordance with their desired outcome i.e. greater concentration, relaxation, etc. While I am not a realtor, many of my clients ask me to consult on property that they are considering for purchase. Also, I do a great deal of work with individuals who have a family member suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity, migraines, depression/anxiety, allergies and asthma etc. The other area where I find a lot of work is in consulting for individuals who want to upgrade their property and realize the highest return on investment. As I all ready mentioned, much of my work involves helping people to identify and/or develop the right environment for their needs.

I believe that as time progresses, we will see more and more practicing Environmental Psychologists in the world. The field not only has a broad-base appeal in that the subject material is of interest, but it also compliments the fields of Interior Design, Landscape Design, City Planning, Law Enforcement, Architecture, Industrial Design, and of course Real Estate just to name a few. For many of us, we have gone as far as we can without considering the impact of our environment on our behaviors, now it is time to look at the relationship between the human psyche and the environments that we create for ourselves. This article, my friends, is only a small part of the vast and developing field of Environmental Psychology.

Published: March 24, 2003

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David Alan Kopec "DAK" has a Ph.D. in Environmental Psychology with a concentration in perception and design and two master's degrees, one in Architecture and another in Community Psychology. He also has a bachelor's degree in community/public health, is certified by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC), a member of Interior Design Education Council (IDEC), and studied the practice and principles of Feng Shui in China. Among DAK's most notable accomplishments include the completion of the first textbook on environmental psychology for design, published by Fairchild Books, which won ASID's 2006 Joel Polsky Prize. He has also authored two monographs; the first analyzes the Americans with Disabilities Act along with the common issues faced by an elderly population, published by ASID. The second monograph discusses the design of long-term care facilities in a multicultural society. This is being published by NCIDQ. Currently DAK is working on a second textbook that analyzes health, sustainability and design. Fairchild Books will release this book in the Spring of 2008. Also, DAK is a 2006 award recipient from Rebuilding Together San Diego. DAK is an Associate Professor of Design at the Newschool of Architecture and Design. In addition, DAK has a private practice, provides consulting services and educational lectures at events such as Neo-Con World’s Trade Fair in Chicago, the annual leadership conference for the American Society for Interior Designers (ASID), and dozens of physician conferences and meetings.