Aim
“Man and the built environment” describes how human interaction with and response to various features of the built environment. The course will further discuss human behaviour in relation to a sustainable development. The course concerns good environments in relation to human health and well-being. The starting point is in real life problems. The course aims at giving the student more extensive theoretical knowledge in one of the central research areas of man and the built environment within the field of environmental psychology. A second aim is to give practical experience about how to apply scientific methods in the field.

Knowledge and understanding
For a passing grade the student must

• have extended theoretical and practical knowledge in one of the central research areas of man and the built environment within the field of environmental psychology.

• have understanding about how environmental psychology methods could be used in order to examine man-environment problems in different areas.

Skills and abilities
For a passing grade the student must

• independently seek and organize scientific literature in one central area focusing upon man and the built environment in the field of environmental psychology. The extent should be as it is described by the course literature.

• identify, with supervision, one scientific problem and empirically examine the question in a scientific satisfying way.

• correctly, with supervision, be able to use at least one environmental psychology method empirically.

• in a scientific correct way present and discuss an empirical study in relation to earlier research and present it in a report.

Judgement and approach
For a passing grade the student must

• present and critical discuss the own scientific report.

• oppose on another scientific report based on given criteria.

Contents
Structure and content: The course consists mainly of literature studies and an empirically based project focusing upon a central area of man and built environment within the field of environmental psychology. The course includes lectures describing methods in environmental psychology and provides examples from current research projects. The projects are supervised and discussed at seminars. The work is presented as a written report and orally at a final seminar. The opposition is oral only. The literature includes compulsory chapters and reference literature chosen in consultation with the supervisor.

Literature
Compulsary:
Selected parts of:
Johansson, M. & Küller, M. (2005) (Reds.). Svensk miljöpsykologi. Lund: Studentlitteratur.
DePoy, E. & Gitlin, L. N. (1999) Forskning en introduktion. Lund: Studentlitteratur.
Reference literature:
Bechtel, R. B. & Churzman, A. (2002) (Eds.). Handbook of Environmental Psychology. New York: Wiley.
Bell, P. A. (2001). Environmental Psychology. London: Harcourt College.
Gifford, R. (2002). Environmental Psychology. Principles and Practices. Colville, WA: Optimal books.
Scientific papers published in Journal of Environmental Psychology and Environment & Behavior