EDAC Environmental Psychology in Healthcare

Question 1

What is the core principle of 'biophilic design' as applied in evidence-based healthcare environments?

Accepted Answer

Incorporating nature — light, plants, water, natural materials — to reduce human stress and support healing

Answer

Designing facilities that use only biodegradable building materials

Answer

Creating living walls for air filtration in clinical corridors

Answer

Using biological research labs as the basis for clinical floor plans

Question 2

Which psychological concept explains why patients feel less stressed when they can see the nursing station from their bed?

Accepted Answer

Perceived control and social support visibility

Answer

Cognitive mapping of spatial layouts

Answer

Territorial marking in institutional settings

Answer

Environmental affordance signaling

Question 3

Research by Roger Ulrich on healthcare environments most famously demonstrated that:

Accepted Answer

Patients with window views of trees had shorter stays and less pain medication use than those facing a wall

Answer

Artwork of human faces accelerates patient recovery

Answer

Open-plan wards reduce patient loneliness better than private rooms

Answer

Blue color schemes in patient rooms measurably lower blood pressure

Question 4

What is 'environmental stressor theory' as it relates to healthcare facility design?

Accepted Answer

The concept that physical features like noise, crowding, and poor lighting compound patient physiological stress

Answer

A model that categorizes hazardous materials found in healthcare environments

Answer

OSHA standards for workplace ergonomics in clinical settings

Answer

A theory about how cleaning chemicals affect indoor air quality

Question 5

In EBD, 'prospect and refuge' theory suggests that patients heal better in rooms that offer:

Accepted Answer

Wide views outward (prospect) combined with a sense of safe enclosure (refuge)

Answer

Maximum open floor space for mobility

Answer

Complete visual privacy from staff and other patients

Answer

Neutral colors to minimize sensory stimulation

Question 6

Which color palette is most supported by EBD research for patient rooms to promote calm and reduce anxiety?

Accepted Answer

Soft blues, greens, and earth tones derived from nature

Answer

Bright primary colors to stimulate patient alertness

Answer

Pure white surfaces to communicate cleanliness

Answer

Bold contrasting patterns to aid spatial orientation