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People, places, things and communities: expanding behaviour settings theory in the twenty-first century.

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A practitioner's field guide to the behaviour settings method.

Miranda Lucas1

  • 1Department of Psychology, Barrett-Henzi Laboratory, University of Lethbridge , Lethbridge, Canada.

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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This guide provides a practical method for applying Roger Barker's behavior settings theory. It details how to identify, describe, and measure behavior settings for ecological psychology research.

Keywords:
K-21Roger Barkerbehaviour settingsbehaviour settings theoryecological psychology

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Area of Science:

  • Ecological psychology
  • Environmental psychology
  • Behavioral science

Background:

  • Roger Barker's behavior settings theory, established in the 1950s, offers a robust methodology for studying human behavior within its ecological context.
  • While influential, Barker's methodological details for identifying, describing, and measuring behavior settings are primarily found in two seminal, but less accessible, books.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a contemporary, practical field guide for implementing Barker's behavior settings methodology.
  • To offer researchers the tools and best practices to systematically describe and measure behavior in its ecological context.
  • To illustrate the application of the behavior settings method with a recent observational study of an art gallery.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic observation and data collection based on Roger Barker's original behavior settings theory.
  • Defining the boundaries and characteristics of specific behavior settings.
  • Contemporary application of the methodology in an art gallery setting.

Main Results:

  • The article presents a replicable framework for applying behavior settings theory in twenty-first-century research.
  • A case study demonstrates the practical identification and definition of a behavior setting within an art gallery environment.
  • Best practices for implementing Barker's methodology are suggested for researchers.

Conclusions:

  • The behavior settings method offers a valuable, yet underutilized, approach for ecological psychology research.
  • This guide empowers researchers to apply Barker's methodology effectively for studying behavior in naturalistic settings.
  • The expansion of behavior settings theory is crucial for understanding people, places, things, and communities.