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The Scope for Energy Conserving Action: A Comparison of the Attitudinal and Thermal Comfort Approaches

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Environmental Social Psychology

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((ASID,volume 45))

Abstract

A well-established biophysical theory of human requirements of indoor climate denies the existence of any individual or group (including ethnic and cultural) differences in the experience of the thermal environment, or of attitudinal differences upon this experience. This limits severely the possibility of energy conservation in the largest sector of energy use in Europe. Social psychologists, on the other hand, regard thermal requirements as manipulable, particularly by attitudinal interventions which change the evaluations made of given psychophysiological circumstances. Environmental psychologists have taken the view that the human relationship with the environment is at the very least interactive and thus that satisfaction with particular environments can only be predicted if level of personal control, culture, environmental role and personal characteristics are entered into the equation. The two major literatures related to energy conservation (via the biophysical theory, and social psychology) are compared and requirements for further research outlined.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Surrey, UK

    I. D. Griffiths, J. W. Huber & A. P. Baillie

Authors
  1. I. D. Griffiths
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  2. J. W. Huber
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  3. A. P. Baillie
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Surrey, UK

    David Canter

  2. Instituto Superior de Ciencias, Trabalho e da Emprese, Lisbon, Portugal

    Jorge Correia Jesuino

  3. Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil, Lisbon, Portugal

    Luís Soczka

  4. Institute of Social and Applied Psychology, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK

    Geoffrey M. Stephenson

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© 1988 Kluwer Academic Publishers

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Griffiths, I.D., Huber, J.W., Baillie, A.P. (1988). The Scope for Energy Conserving Action: A Comparison of the Attitudinal and Thermal Comfort Approaches. In: Canter, D., Jesuino, J.C., Soczka, L., Stephenson, G.M. (eds) Environmental Social Psychology. NATO ASI Series, vol 45. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2802-2_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2802-2_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-7760-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-2802-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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