EDAC Environmental Psychology in Healthcare 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the core principle of 'biophilic design' as applied in evidence-based healthcare environments?
- Incorporating nature — light, plants, water, natural materials — to reduce human stress and support healing (Correct answer)
- Designing facilities that use only biodegradable building materials
- Creating living walls for air filtration in clinical corridors
- Using biological research labs as the basis for clinical floor plans
Correct answer: Incorporating nature — light, plants, water, natural materials — to reduce human stress and support healing
Biophilic design is grounded in humans' innate affinity for nature, and research shows nature elements in care environments reduce stress hormones and pain.
Question 2: Which psychological concept explains why patients feel less stressed when they can see the nursing station from their bed?
- Perceived control and social support visibility (Correct answer)
- Cognitive mapping of spatial layouts
- Territorial marking in institutional settings
- Environmental affordance signaling
Correct answer: Perceived control and social support visibility
Seeing staff nearby gives patients a sense that help is available, which reduces anxiety and increases perceived safety.
Question 3: Research by Roger Ulrich on healthcare environments most famously demonstrated that:
- Patients with window views of trees had shorter stays and less pain medication use than those facing a wall (Correct answer)
- Artwork of human faces accelerates patient recovery
- Open-plan wards reduce patient loneliness better than private rooms
- Blue color schemes in patient rooms measurably lower blood pressure
Correct answer: Patients with window views of trees had shorter stays and less pain medication use than those facing a wall
Ulrich's 1984 study found surgical patients with nature views recovered faster and needed less analgesia, establishing a cornerstone of EBD.
Question 4: What is 'environmental stressor theory' as it relates to healthcare facility design?
- The concept that physical features like noise, crowding, and poor lighting compound patient physiological stress (Correct answer)
- A model that categorizes hazardous materials found in healthcare environments
- OSHA standards for workplace ergonomics in clinical settings
- A theory about how cleaning chemicals affect indoor air quality
Correct answer: The concept that physical features like noise, crowding, and poor lighting compound patient physiological stress
Environmental stressor theory holds that negative physical environmental features activate the body's stress response, worsening health outcomes.
Question 5: In EBD, 'prospect and refuge' theory suggests that patients heal better in rooms that offer:
- Wide views outward (prospect) combined with a sense of safe enclosure (refuge) (Correct answer)
- Maximum open floor space for mobility
- Complete visual privacy from staff and other patients
- Neutral colors to minimize sensory stimulation
Correct answer: Wide views outward (prospect) combined with a sense of safe enclosure (refuge)
Prospect-and-refuge theory posits that humans prefer environments with broad outward views and protected backing, reducing vigilance and stress.
Question 6: Which color palette is most supported by EBD research for patient rooms to promote calm and reduce anxiety?
- Soft blues, greens, and earth tones derived from nature (Correct answer)
- Bright primary colors to stimulate patient alertness
- Pure white surfaces to communicate cleanliness
- Bold contrasting patterns to aid spatial orientation
Correct answer: Soft blues, greens, and earth tones derived from nature
Nature-inspired palettes of soft blues, greens, and earth tones consistently lower reported patient anxiety compared to institutional whites or bold colors.
EDAC Environmental Psychology in Healthcare 1
What is the core principle of 'biophilic design' as applied in evidence-based healthcare environments?