Environment and Social Psychology

In the past decades, both research and practice in society related to environmental and sustainability issues have been on the global agenda. The great challenge is to reconcile the interests of consumers, organizations, and the environmental preservation agenda, coupled with economic development in terms of consumption. Within this scenario, this study investigates the intention to buy sustainable products from the information and perceptions of consumers regarding environmental issues, when mediated by the attitudes toward sustainable products. To reach this goal, a survey was applied to Brazilian citizens from a region linked to nature. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling, and the series of regressions trough the macro process. The results indicate that the formation of attitudes is more influenced by information about sustainability than by the perceptions of the consumers. Moreover, the data reveal the crucial mediating role of the attitude toward sustainable products to construct an equally sustainable behavior in terms of consumption when measured by the intention to buy sustainable products. These results suggest that a phase of information generation on sustainability is in the transition to a stage linked to the construction and solidification of beliefs.

Well-being is a complex combination of physical, psychological, emotional, and social health factors of a person. The feeling of well-being is essential for the overall health of a person and enables them to be successful and achieve what they want in life. There is a paucity of study on the well-being of older adults in Bhutan. This study attempted to assess how older adults in Bhutan perceive their well-being and determine their socio-demographic correlates. The World Health Organization five well-being indexes were applied to measure well-being. Findings indicated above average well-being score with the nature of the relationship with children, education level, and employment status as independent correlates. Efforts to enhance the relationship between family members could be more relevant for the well-being of older adults. Further research on well-being is required to incorporate determinants other than socio-demographic variables.

This review aims to show the current state of knowledge in the area of the visual quality of landscapes in urbanized areas and their influence on people’s mental health and well-being. This falls under the passive recreation and passive exposure to the environmental stimuli present in our cities (such as walking in nature and quiet contemplation) as opposed to active interactions with the landscapes such as horticulture therapy and meditation. Passive exposure to natural or built environments can shape our mental health patterns throughout the life cycle. Although we know that the quantity of green spaces in the cities can improve the well-being of city inhabitants and contact with natural environments can alleviate various psychological disorders, it is also likely that the quality of green spaces, including seemingly irrelevant landscape design nuances, can play a more important role for our mental health. At present, one can observe strong demand from policymakers for generating scientific evidence-based knowledge to provide recommendations for urban design and the maintenance of green spaces. The Contemplative Landscape Model is an operationalized construct which includes esthetic, environmental, and mental health values of landscapes and could serve as a useful tool to assist in the current need for knowledge. However, more research with an emphasis on causal relationships is needed.