Environmental Effects on Human Behavior
INTRODUCTION
The human environment relationship can be appreciated fully by understanding that the two influence each other, and depend on each other for their survival and maintenance. When we focus our attention on the effects of the natural environment on human beings, we find a variety of environmental influences, ranging from physical effects as a change of clothing in response to climate changes to severe psychological effects such as serious depression after a natural disaster. Some of the effects pointed out by psychologists are described below.
ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES ON PERCEPTION
Some aspects of the environment influence human perception. For example, a tribal society of Africa lives in circular huts, that is, in houses without angular walls. They show less error in a geometric illusion (The Muller- Lyer illusion) then people from cities, who live in houses with angular walls.
ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES ON EMOTIONS
The environment affects our emotional reactions as well. Watching nature in any form, whether it is a quietly flowing river, a smiling flower, for a tranquil mountain top, provides the kind of joy that cannot be matched by any other experience. Natural disasters, floods, droughts, landslides, earthquakes can be under the ocean, can affect people’s emotions to such an extent that they experience deep depression and sorrow, a sense of complete helplessness and lack of control over their lives. Such an influence on human emotions is a traumatic experience that changes people’s lives forever, and can last for a very long time after the actual event in the form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
PROMOTING PRO- ENVIRONMENTAL BEHAVIOR
Pro- Environmental behaviour includes both actions that are meant to protect the environment from problems, and to promote a healthy environment. Some promote actions to protect the environment from pollution are:
1) Reducing air pollution by keeping vehicles in good condition, or changing to non-fuel driven vehicles, stopping the practice of smoking.
2) Reducing noise pollution by ensuring that noise levels are low, for example, discouraging needless honking on the road, for making rules regarding noisy music at certain hours.
3) Managing disposal of garbage sensibly, for example, by encouraging separation of biodegradable garbage from non- biodegradable waste, or composting of Kitchen waste. These practices need to be adopted both at home and in public places. Special attention has to be paid to the management of Industrial and Hospital waste.
4) Planting trees and ensuring their care, keeping in mind that those plants and trees should not be planted that have adverse health effects.
5) Saying no to plastic in any forms, thus, reducing toxic waste that pollutes water, air and the soil.
6) Reducing the non biodegradable Packaging of consumer goods.
7) Laws related to construction that violate optimal environmental design.
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