Environmental Psychology in Healthcare Flashcards

Which aspect of environmental psychology is most directly addressed by providing patients with control over room temperature?

Answer: Perceived control, which reduces psychological stress and improves coping

Perceived control over one's environment is a powerful psychological buffer against stress; even small controls like temperature adjustment reduce patient anxiety.

How does 'territoriality' affect patient behavior in shared healthcare rooms?

Answer: Patients in shared rooms experience reduced sense of personal space, increasing stress and reducing privacy-related compliance

Reduced personal territory in shared rooms increases psychological stress and can decrease medication and treatment compliance due to privacy concerns.

EBD research on sensory overload in ICUs suggests that design should prioritize:

Answer: Reducing auditory and visual stimuli to levels that support rather than disrupt patient recovery

ICU patients are acutely vulnerable to sensory overload from alarms, light, and activity; reducing excess stimuli supports recovery and reduces delirium.

What does the 'stress response model' (Ulrich, 1991) predict about healthcare environments?

Answer: Restorative environments activate parasympathetic responses that reduce stress and support immunity

Ulrich's model posits that restorative environments — with nature, control, and social support — shift patients from sympathetic to parasympathetic dominance, accelerating healing.

According to EBD principles, why are curved rather than angular corridors sometimes preferred in psychiatric and dementia units?

Answer: Curved pathways feel less institutional, reduce aggression, and encourage wandering-safe movement

In psychiatric and dementia design, curved corridors reduce dead-ends and create more homelike, less institutional aesthetics that lower patient agitation.

How does the concept of 'social support' factor into EBD as a design variable?

Answer: Spaces designed for family and peer interaction provide emotional resources that directly affect patient outcomes

Research shows that social support — enabled by family rooms, lounge spaces, and open visitation design — reduces patient anxiety and correlates with faster recovery.