Toward a theory of environmental satisfaction and human comfort: A process-oriented and contextually sensitive theoretical framework

摘要

This article proposes a new theoretical framework of environmental satisfaction and human comfort, highlighting the role of human agency in the interaction between humans and environment and the context within which such interactions occur. The framework is constructed by building on Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model and logically connecting existing theories in the broader area of social sciences. The proposed framework conceptualizes satisfaction and comfort as an optimization process accomplished through one's active perception, interpretation, and modification of his/her socio-physical environment. This optimization process is viewed as ongoing and cyclical. Four modes of optimization are proposed: environmental modification, behavioral adaptation, normative adaptation, and withdrawal.