The major purpose of this article is to suggest approaches for assessing and evaluating sheltered living environments. First, a multidimensional approach to environmental assessment is described. Second, we present a set of outcome criteria that can be used to evaluate the effects of environmental dimensions. We then suggest several approaches for utilizing information about environments to increase the fit between people and environments, and to facilitate change in environments.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BANDURA, A. (1976) "Behavior theory and the models of man," in A. Wandersmanet al. (eds.) Humanism and Behaviorism: Dialogue and Growth. New York: Pergamon.
2.
BJAANES, A. T. and E. W. BUTLER (1974) "Environmental variation in community care facilities for mentally retarded persons."Amer. J. of Mental Deficiency78: 429-439.
3.
BRONFENBRENNER, U. (1979) Ecology of Human Development: Experiments by Nature and Design. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ. Press.
4.
BUDOFF, M. and J. GOTTLIEB (1976) "Special-class EMR children mainstreamed: a study of an aptitude (learning potential) X treatment interaction."Amer. J. of Mental Deficiency81: 1-11.
5.
CAMPBELL, D. T. and J. C. STANLEY (1963) Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs for Research. Skokie, IL: Rand McNally.
6.
CURTISS, S. (1976) "The compatibility of humanistic and behavioristic approaches in a state mental hospital," in A. Wandersmanet al. (eds.) Humanism and Behaviorism: Dialogue and Growth. New York: Pergamon.
7.
DAVID, T. , R. MOOS, and J. KAHN (forthcoming) "Community integration among elderly residents of sheltered care settings."Amer. J. of Community Psychology.
8.
DENNIS, F. and J. LENT (1978) Project Change: Final Report. Nashville, TN: George Peabody College for Teachers, Vanderbilt University.
9.
DUPUY, H. L. (1973) The General Well-Being Schedule. Vital and Health Statistics, Public Health Service Series 1, No. 106. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.
10.
D'ZURILLA, T. J. and M. R. GOLDFRIED (1973) "Cognitive processes, problem-solving, and effective behavior," in M. R. Goldfried and M. Merbaum (eds.) Behavior Change Through Self-Control. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
11.
EDGERTON, R. B. (1967) The Cloak of Competence: Stigma in the Lives of the Mentally Retarded. Berkeley: Univ. of California Press.
12.
EYMAN, R. , A. SILVERSTEIN, R. McLAIN, and C. MILLER (1977) "Effects of residential settings on development," in P. Mittler (ed.) Research to Practice in Mental Retardation: Care and Intervention, Volume 1. LASSMD Proceedings. Baltimore, MD: University Park.
13.
HOLAHAN, C. (1978) Environment and Behavior. New York: Plenum.
14.
KAZDIN, A. and G. T. WILSON (1978) Evaluation of Behavior Therapy: Issues, Evidence, and Research Strategies. Cambridge, MA: Ballinger.
15.
LANGER, E. and J. RODIN (1976) "The effects of choice and enhanced personal responsibility for the aged: a field experiment in an institutional setting."J. of Personality and Social Psychology34: 191-198.
16.
LAWTON, M. P. (1979) "A background for the environmental study of aging," in T. O. Byertset al. (eds.) Environmental Context of Aging. New York: Garland.
17.
LAWTON, P. and L. NAHEMOW (1973) "Ecology and the aging process," in C. Eisdorfer and P. Lawton (eds.) The Psychology of Adult Development and Aging. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
18.
LEMKE, S. and R. MOOS (1981) "The suprapersonal environments of sheltered care settings."J. of Gerontology36: 233-243.
19.
LEMKE, S. and R. MOOS (1980) "Assessing the institutional policies of sheltered care settings."J. of Gerontology35: 96-107.
20.
LEMKE, S. , B. MEHREN, and M. GAUVAIN (1979) The Multiphasic Environmental Assessment Procedure (MEAP): Handbook for Users. Palo Alto, CA: Social Ecology Laboratory, VA Medical Center, and Stanford University.
21.
LINN, M. , E. CAFFEY, J. KLETT, and G. HOGARTY (1977) "Hospital vs. community (foster) care for psychiatric patients."Archives of General Psychiatry34: 78-83.
22.
MEYERS, R. (1978) Like Normal People. New York: McGraw-Hill.
23.
MOOS, R. (forthcoming) "Environmental choice and control in community care settings for older people."J. of Applied Social Psychology.
24.
MOOS, R. (1981) Work Environment Scale Manual. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
25.
MOOS, R. (1979a) Evaluating Educational Environments: Procedures, Measures, Findings, and Policy Implications. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
26.
MOOS, R. (1979b) "Social-ecological perspectives on health," in G. Stoneet al. (eds.) Health Psychology. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
27.
MOOS, R. (1976) The Human Context: Environmental Determinants of Behavior. New York: John Wiley.
28.
MOOS, R. (1975) Evaluating Correctional and Community Settings. New York: John Wiley.
29.
MOOS, R. (1974a) Evaluating Treatment Environments: A Social Ecological Approach. New York: John Wiley.
30.
MOOS, R. (1974b) The Social Climate Scales: An Overview. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
31.
MOOS, R. and R. FUHR (forthcoming) "The clinical use of ecological concepts: the case of an adolescent girl."Amer. J. of Orthopsychiatry.
32.
MOOS, R. and A. IGRA (1980) "Determinants of the social environments of sheltered care settings."J. of Health and Social Behavior21: 88-90.
33.
MOOS, R. and S. LEMKE (1980) "Assessing the physical and architectural features of sheltered care settings."J. of Gerontology35: 571-583.
34.
MOOS, R. and S. LEMKE (1979) The Multiphasic Environmental Assessment Procedure (MEAP): Preliminary Manual. Palo Alto, CA: Social Ecology Laboratory, VA Medical Center, and Stanford University.
35.
MOOS, R. , J. CLAYTON, and W. MAX (1979) The Social Climate Scales: An Annotated Bibliography. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
36.
MOOS, R. , M. GAUVAIN, S. LEMKE, W. MAX, and B. MEHREN (1979) "Assessing the social environments of sheltered care settings."Gerontologist19: 74-82.
37.
NIHIRA, K. , R. FOSTER, M. SHELLHAAS, and H. LEALAND (1973)Adaptive Behavior Scales: Manual. Washington, DC: American Association of Mental Deficiency.
38.
PENSE, A. W. , R. E. PATTON, J. L. CAMP, and C. KEBALO (1961) "A cohort study of institutionalized young mentally retarded children."Amer. J. of Mental Deficiency66: 18-22.
39.
PERSKE, R. (1972) "The dignity of risk," in W. Wolfensberger (ed.) The Principle of Normalization in Human Services. Toronto: National Institute of Mental Retardation.
40.
RICKS, D. F. , A. WANDERSMAN, and P. POPPEN (1976) "Humanism and behaviorism: towards new syntheses," in A. Wandersmanet al. (eds.) Humanism and Behaviorism: Dialogue and Growth. New York: Pergamon.
41.
RODIN, J. and E. LANGER (1977) "Long-term effects of a control-relevant intervention with institutionalized aged."J. of Personality and Social Psychology35: 897-902.
42.
SAUER, L. (1980) "The core discipline of architecture."Design Research News11, 2: 7.
43.
SCHEERENBERGER, R. C. and D. FELSENTHAL (1977) "Community settings for mentally retarded persons: satisfaction and activities."Mental Retardation15: 3-7.
44.
SCHULZ, R. (1976) "Effects of control and predictability on the physical and psychological well-being of the institutionalized aged."J. of Personality and Social Psychology33: 563-573.
45.
SPENCER, L. D. (1972) "A `retarded' graduate student looking at the institutional world through the eyes of a resident." Western Carolina Center Papers and Reports in Mental Retardation 2 (February).
46.
STOUGH, R. and A. WANDERSMAN (1980) Optimizing Environments: Research, Practice, and Policy. Washington, DC: EDRA.
47.
SUNDBERG, N. D. , L. R. SNOWDEN, and W. M. REYNOLDS (1978) "Toward assessment of personal competence and incompetence in life situations."Annual Rev. of Psychology29: 179-221.
48.
TARJAN, G. , S. W. WRIGHT, R. K. EYMAN, and C. V. KEERAN (1973) "Natural history of mental retardation: some aspects of epidemiology."Amer. J. of Mental Deficiency77: 369-379.
49.
THOMAS, J. and A. WANDERSMAN (1977) "A general system of criteria as a basis for the assessment of mental health interventions." (unpublished)
50.
WANDERSMAN, A. (1979) `User participation: a study of types of participation, effects, mediators, and individual differences."Environment and Behavior11, 2: 185-208.
51.
WANDERSMAN, A. (1976) "Applying humanism, behaviorism, and a broader social developmental view to understanding and researching the design process," in P. Sued-feld and J. Russell (eds.) The Behavioral Basis of Design, Book 1. Stroudsberg, PA: Dowden, Hutchison, Ross.
52.
WATERS, J. (1978) "Assessing the work environment of long-term health care facilities."Long-Term Care and Health Services Administration Q.2: 300-307.
53.
WEISS, D. and E. WEINSTEIN (1968) "Interpersonal tactics among mental retardates."Amer. J. of Mental Deficiency72: 653-661.
54.
ZAHARIA, E. S. and A. A. BAUMEISTER (1978) "Technician turnover and absenteeism in public residential facilities."Amer. J. of Mental Deficiency82: 580-593.