Experience and environment: Perception of environmental quality

Abstract

This article reviews two different approaches to the question about experience and the visual environment. In particular, the issue of the qualities of an adequate environment is discussed and experimental data are presented that support the idea of the existence of an individual and functional relationship between man and environment. Neisser's concept of “perceptual schema” and Gibson's concept of “affordance” appear on the scene to explain why not everybody perceives the same meanings in the same environment. Finally two hypothesized conditions are presented for an adequate environment that takes into account the individual character of users. These environmental conditions are the encouragement by the environment to use it for one's own purposes, and the opportunity to discover personal meaningful uses of the environment.