The Ricker Library of Architecture and Art

Reference Sources for Environmental Psychology

• Handbooks
• Research guides
• Conference proceedings
• Other resources

Handbooks

• Bechtel, R. & Churchman, A. eds., (2002). Handbook of environmental psychology. New York: Wiley. Education Library Reserves Q. 155.9 H1913. The most recent overview of the field. It details major theoretical and methodological approaches and their applications to practical issues, as well as their connections with other disciplines.
• Stokols, D. & Altman, I., eds. (1987). Handbook of environmental psychology. (2 vols.) New York: Wiley. Ricker Library Reference, City Planning Library, Education Library 155.9 H1912. A comprehensive overview of the field; despite its date and the subsequent publication of the second edition this substantial work remains very useful. Includes significant coverage of the international aspects of the field.
• Wapner, S., et al., eds. (1997). Handbook of Japan Handbook of Japan-United States Environment-Behavior Research: Toward a Transactional Approach. New York: Plenum. Education Library 155.90952 H191. Provides cross-cultural perspectives on environmental psychology in Japan and the United States, includes a mix of synoptic studies and more specific research reports.

Guides to Research and Methodology

• Bechtel, R. B., Marans, R. W., & Michelson, W. (1987). Methods in environmental and behavioral research. New York: Van Nostrand. Ricker Library, Main Stacks 155.9 M566. Essays on a variety of methodological approaches, both quantitative and qualitative, employed by environment and behavior researchers.
• Groat, L. & Wang, D. (2002). Architectural Research Methods. New York: Wiley, 2002. Ricker Closed Stacks 720.1 G892a. A general guide to research for architects, including methods for data collection and interpretation employed in the psychological study of the built environment.
• Laurel, B., ed. (2003). Design research: Methods and perspectives. Cambridge: MIT Press. Ricker Library 745.2 D4605. Provides guidance, both theoretical and practical, for the application of research, including psychological research, to the design process.
• Sommer, R. & Sommer, B. (2002). A Practical guide to behavioral research: tools and techniques. 5th edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ricker Closed Stacks, Education Reference 150.72 So55p2002. A general interdisciplinary guide to both quantitative and qualitative approaches, readily applicable to environmental psychology. (One of the authors is a prominient environmental psychologist.) Recommends a multi-method approach. Includes advice on observation techniques, survey design and administration, mapping, etc.
• Zeisel, J. (2006). Inquiry by design : environment/behavior/neuroscience in architecture, interiors, landscape, and planning. Revised edition. New York: Norton. Ricker Closed Stacks, City Planning Library 155.9 Z36i 2006. Latest edition of this classic text, first published in 1981. It provides both theoretical and practical guidance for the use of environmental psychology research in designing and evaluating built environments.

Conference Proceedings

• Proceedings of the international conference of the Environmental Design Research Association. Annual 1969– Contains abstracts of papers presented at the EDRA conferences, along with a selection of complete papers. Ricker Library, City Planning Library 729.2 EN88. A cumulative index for vols. 1–28 (1969–1997) is available in the Ricker Closed Stacks. For conferences occurring after 1993, partial lists of contents are available in ProceedingsFirst, and individual papers are selectively listed in PapersFirst.
• IAPS Digital Library Indexes and abstracts papers presented at the biennial IAPS and EPUK Conferences, with some additional material. Full text is available for many papers, many of which have not otherwise been published.

Other Resources

• Archnet An online community for architects, urban planners, conservationists, etc. with a non-exclusive focus on Muslim civilization. The digital library includes, among other items, papers from Environmental Design: Journal of the Islamic Environmental Design Research Centre.
• Cyburbia: the Planning Community A portal and networking site for urban planning and related fields. Includes news, a classified guide to on-line resources, a “Planning Wiki,” discussion forums, and other features.
• Farmer, B. & Louw, H. eds. Companion to contemporary architectural thought. London: Routledge. Ricker Reference Q. 720.1 C738. Wide ranging overview of architectural theory that provides a great deal of helpful information on the psychology of the built environment.
• Ramachandran, V. S. (1994). Encyclopedia of human behavior. (4 vols.) San Diego: Academic Press. Education Reference, Main Reference Q. 150.3 EN194. Provides helpful introductions to and overviews of some of the concepts employed in environment and behavior research.
• Spielberger, C. D. (2004). Encyclopedia of applied psychology. (3 vols.) Amsterdam: Elsevier. Education Reference Q. 158.03 En193. Quite broad in scope, a number of articles in this work are relevant to environmental psychology.