Session 2           Readings:          Chapter 1          What is Environmental Psychology?          Environmental psychology is part of an interdisciplinary field of study of environment and behavior. Environmental psychology is a very young field and was recognized as such only about 30 years ago. However, social scientists have worked for decades on a number of topics and issues that we will discuss in this course.          Early definitions of environmental psychology emphasized the relationship between behavior and physical environment. More recent definitions include psychological, and behavioral processes.          While most traditional approaches assume that environmental stimuli are distinct from each other, in environmental psychology           there is an emphasis on studying environment-behavior relationships as an integral unit. For example environmental psychology looks upon the stimulus and its perception as a unit that contains more than just a stimulus and response.          Environmental psychology also assumes that environment-behavior relationships are reciprocal: the environment influences behavior AND behavior in turn also leads to changes in the environment.           Chapter 1 in the text is a brief overview of environmental psychology. You are introduced to the area of environmental psychology and some current events influencing environmental psychology are also briefly described. Articles 1 and 2 are some           additional optional readings that do a very overview of the field of environmental psychology.                     Assignments:          Essay questions:          1. Your text describes several "current events" which are influencing the field of environmental psychology. List these events and show how each influences human/environment relationships.           Activities:          1. Make a list of 6 environmental problems you would like to see psychology try to solve. As this course progresses, try to identify the psychological principles and research you think would be applicable to solving the problems you named.          2. Read the time out exercise on Page 12 of your text. List 3 major changes that have taken place in your principal place of residence. Briefly describe these changes in a page or less.   This assignment  is due by January 25th.