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social schema

a cognitive structure of organized information, or representations, about social norms and collective patterns of behavior within society. Whereas a self-schema involves a person’s conception of herself or himself as an individual and in terms of a particular personal role (or roles) in life, social schemata often underlie behavior of the person acting within group contexts—particularly larger group or societal contexts.

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Psychology term of the day

November 16th 2024

environmental psychology

environmental psychology

a multidisciplinary field that investigates the effects of the physical environment on human behavior and welfare. Influences studied may include environmental stressors (e.g., noise, crowding, air pollution, temperature); design variables (e.g., lighting); the design of technology (see ergonomics); and larger, more ambient qualities of the physical environment, such as floorplan layouts, the size and location of buildings, and proximity to nature.