The Ecological Perspective
Understanding People in Context
“To Optimize Human Strengths ― Accommodate Human Limitations”

• Environmental Psychology
• This field examines the interplay between humans and their surroundings, both natural and built. It investigates how physical environments influence human behavior, well-being, and attitudes, while also exploring how people shape and are shaped by these spaces. Topics include perception of environments, stress and restoration, place attachment, and environmental attitudes and behaviors.
• Social Ecology
• This perspective emphasizes the interconnectedness of social and environmental problems. It posits that hierarchical social structures, power imbalances, and exploitative practices are root causes of both social injustices and environmental degradation. Social ecology advocates for decentralized, democratic, and ecologically sound social systems to achieve a more just and sustainable world.
• Ecological Psychology
• Pioneered by James J. Gibson, this approach focuses on the direct perception of affordances – the action possibilities that the environment offers to an individual. It emphasizes the close coupling between an organism and its environment, arguing that perception is not a passive reception of sensory information but an active process of detecting meaningful opportunities for interaction.
• Ecological Counseling
• This emerging field integrates ecological principles and an understanding of human-environment relationships into therapeutic practice. It recognizes that individual well-being is deeply intertwined with the health of the natural world and addresses issues such as eco-anxiety, nature deficit disorder, and the psychological impacts of environmental crises. It often incorporates nature-based interventions to promote healing and connection.