ENVIRONMENTAL CONCEPTUALIZATIONS AND HOUSING PREFERENCES: A COMPARISON OF ARCHITECTS AND NON-ARCHITECTS.
Item
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Title
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ENVIRONMENTAL CONCEPTUALIZATIONS AND HOUSING PREFERENCES: A COMPARISON OF ARCHITECTS AND NON-ARCHITECTS.
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Identifier
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AAI8423087
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identifier
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8423087
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Creator
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MADDOCKS, JOHN.
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Contributor
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Gary Winkel
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Date
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1984
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Social
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Abstract
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This research study investigates the relationship between people's environmental conceptualizations and their housing preferences with a particular emphasis on differences between architects and non-architects. Based on the transactional model for relationships between people and their environments, environmental conceptualizations are defined as sets of ideas for thinking about, describing and acting upon the physical environment and are assumed to be affected by differences in background and experience among people.;The study is designed to emphasize interactions between environmental, social and psychological variables. Age, sex, income, education, occupation (i.e. architect vs. non-architect), housing experience, general value orientations and an aspect of creativity are investigated as measures of background and experience that may affect environmental conceptualizations. Environmental conceptualizations are measured by analysis of open-ended descriptions of suburban, single family, traditional style (i.e. colonial) house type shown in a photographic color slide. Housing preferences are measured, through judgments regarding the appropriateness or inappropriateness (on a 7-point scale) of ten different housing types (shown in photographic color slides) for six different hypothetical families (presented through written descriptions).;Results of this research indicate that variation in environmental conceptualization is related to variation in judging other people's housing preferences. It is also shown that socio-economic class, childrearing attitudes, amount of education, age, cultural interests and understanding of symbolic meaning in the environment are significant influences on housing preferences. Variation in environmental conceptualization is also related to measures of background and experience that include age, housing experience, theoretical values, economic values, and aesthetic values. In addition, environmental conceptualizations are related to preferences for visual complexity which has been shown to be an aspect of creativity.;Differences between architects and non-architects in environmental conceptualizations depend on the effects of other variables, such as aesthetic values and preference for visual complexity. Differences in housing preferences between architects and non-architects appear to be affected by differences in the meanings communicated through the environment.;The study also demonstrates differences in results between univariate and multivariate statistical analysis, and emphasizes the conceptual and methodological significance of research based on interactions among environmental, social and psychological variables.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Psychology
