Is There a Psychologist in the Building? Reading Answers

Dec 13, 2022

Is There a Psychologist in the Building? Reading Answers has 12 questions to answer in 20 minutes. Is There a Psychologist in the Building? Reading Answers consists of question types, namely- choose the correct number, choose the correct letter, and complete the sentences. Candidates are required to choose the correct number from the given options i-x, choose two correct letters from the options A-D and complete the sentences using no more than two words for each answer. Candidates must read the IELTS reading passage, identify keywords, and recognize synonyms to answer the question.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Is There a Psychologist in the Building? Reading Answers

— CHRISTIAN JARRETT reports on psychology’s place in new architectural development. —

The space around us affects us profoundly – rebuilding of one south London school as striking emotionally, behaviourally, cognitively. In Britain that example of how building design can affect human space is changing at a pace not seen for a generation's behaviour positively. Before its redesign, it was Surely psychology had something to say about all ranked as the worst school in the area – now it is this change. But is anyone listening? ‘There is a huge recognised as one of the country’s twenty most amount of psychology research that is relevant, but improved schools. At the moment we’re talking to ourselves,’says Chris Spencer, professor of environmental psychology at the University of Sheffield. Spencer recalls a recent talk he gave in which he called on fellow researchers to make a greater effort to communicate their findings to architects and planners. ‘I was amazed at the response of many of the senior researchers, who would say: “I’m doing my research for pure science, the industry can take it or leave it”. But there are models of how to apply environmental psychology to real problems, if you know where to look Professor Frances Kuo is an example.
Kuo’s website provides pictures and plain English ” The collaborative project currently summarises research conducted by her Human stands as a one-off experiment. ” Among these trainee architects will now go away with some study using police records that found inner-city surrounded by more vegetation suffered 52 per cent fewer crimes than apartment blocks with little or no greenery. Frances Kuo and her co-researcher William Sullivan believe that greenery reduces crime – so long as visibility is preserved – because it reduces aggression, brings local residents together outdoors, and the conspicuous presence of people deters criminals.
‘Environmental psychologists are increasingly in demand,’ says David Uzzell, professor of environmental psychology. ‘We’re asked to contribute to the planning, design and management of many different environments, ranging from neighbourhoods, offices, schools, health, transport, traffic and leisure environments for the purpose of improving quality of life and creating a better people-environment fit.’ Uzzell points to the rebuilding of one south London school as a striking example of how building design can affect human behaviour positively. Before its redesign, it was ranked as the worst school in the area – now it is recognised as one of the country’s twenty most improved schools.
Uzzell has been involved in a pioneering project between MSc students in England and Scotland. Architecture students in Scotland acted as designers while environmental psychology students in England acted as consultants, as together they worked on a community project in a run-down area of Glasgow. The psychology students encouraged the architecture students to think about who their client group was, to consider issues of crowding and social cohesion, and they introduced them to psychological methodologies, for example observation and interviewing local residents about their needs.’ The collaborative project currently stands as a one-off experiment. ‘Hopefully these trainee architects will now go away with some understanding of the psychological issues involved in design and will take into account people’s needs,’ says Uzzell.
Hilary Barker, a recent graduate in psychology, now works for a design consultancy. She’s part of a four- person research team that contributes to the overall work of the company in helping clients use their office space more productively. Her team all have backgrounds in psychology or social science, but the rest of the firm consists mainly of architects and interior designers. ‘What I do is pretty rare to be honest,’ Barker says. ‘I feel very privileged to be able to use my degree in such a way.’ Barker explains that the team carries out observational studies on behalf of companies, to identify exactly how occupants are using their building. The companies are often surprised by the findings, for example that staff use meeting rooms for quiet, individual work.
One area where the findings from environment- behaviour research have certainly influenced building is in hospital design. The government has a checklist of criteria that must be met in the design of new hospitals, and these are derived largely from the work of the behavioural scientist Professor Roger Ulrich,’ Chris Spencer says. Ulrich’s work has shown, for example, how the view from a patient’s window can affect their recovery. Even a hospital’s layout can impact people's health, according to Dr John Zeisel. ‘If people get lost in hospitals, they get stressed, which lowers their immune system and means their medication works less well. You might think that way-finding around the hospital is the responsibility of the person who puts all the signs up, but the truth is that the basic layout of a building is what helps people find their way around,’ he says.
Zeisel also points to the need for a better balance between private and shared rooms in hospitals. ‘Falls are reduced and fewer medication errors occur’ in private rooms, he says. There’s also research showing how Important it is that patients have access to the outdoors and that gardens in hospitals are a major contributor to well-being. However, more generally, Zeisel shares Chris Spencer’s concerns that the lessons from environmental psychology research are not getting through. ’There is certainly a gap between what we in social science know and the world of designers and architects,’ says Zeisel. He believes that most industries, from sports to film- making, have now recognised the importance of an evidence-based approach, and that the building trade needs to formulate itself more in that vein, and to recognise that there is relevant research out there. ‘It would be outrageous, silly, to go ahead with huge building projects without learning the lessons from the new towns established between 30 and 40 years ago,’ he warns.

Section 2

Solution with Explanation
Questions 1-7:
Reading Passage has seven paragraphs. A-G. Choose the correct heading for A-G from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number, i-x, in boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings i. A comparison between similar buildings ii. The negative reaction of local residents iii. An unusual job for a psychologist iv. A type of building benefiting from prescribed guidelines v. The need for government action vi. A failure to use available information in practical ways vii. Academics with an unhelpful attitude viii. A refusal by architects to accept criticism ix. A unique co-operative scheme x. The expanding scope of environmental psychology

1) Paragraph A

Answer: vii
Supporting Sentence: ‘I was amazed at the response of many of the senior researchers, who would say: “I’m doing my research for pure science, the industry can take it or leave it”.
Keywords: senior researcher, pure science, take, leave
Keywords Location: Paragraph A, 2nd last line
Explanation: In the second-to-last sentence of paragraph A, it is said that Spencer was surprised by the response of many of the top researchers, who would say: "I'm conducting my research for pure science, the industry can take it or leave it." This shows the unhelpful attitude of researchers.

2) Paragraph B

Answer: i
Supporting Sentence: The collaborative project currently summarises research conducted by her Human stands as a one-off experiment. ”
Keywords: collaborative, summarises, humans stands, experiment
Keywords Location: Paragraph B, 2nd line
Explanation: The collaborative effort that now summarises research done by her Human stands as a one-off experiment, according to the second sentence of paragraph B. This depicts that the (i) heading would suit.

3) Paragraph C

Answer: x
Supporting Sentence: ‘We’re asked to contribute to the planning, design and management of many different environments, ranging from neighbourhoods, offices, schools, health, transport, traffic and leisure environments for the purpose of improving quality of life and creating a better people-environment fit.’
Keywords: contribute, design, environment, school
Keywords Location: Paragraph C, 2nd line
Explanation: The second line of paragraph C reads, "We're asked to contribute to the planning, design, and management of many different environments, including neighbourhoods, offices, schools, health, transportation, and recreation environments, with the goal of enhancing quality of life and fostering a better people-environment fit." This shows the expanding scope of environmental psychology.

4) Paragraph D

Answer: ix
Supporting Sentence: Architecture students in Scotland acted as designers while environmental psychology students in England acted as consultants, as together they worked on a community project in a run-down area of Glasgow.
Keywords: architecture, scotland, environmental psychology, community project
Keywords Location: Paragraph D, 2nd line
Explanation: According to the second line of paragraph D, architecture students from Scotland served as designers while environmental psychology students from England served as advisors while working together on a community project in a blighted part of Glasgow. It acted as a unique cooperative scheme.

5) Paragraph E

Answer: iii
Supporting Sentence: Barker explains that the team carries out observational studies on behalf of companies, to identify exactly how occupants are using their building.
Keywords: Barker, observational studies, occupants, building, companies
Keywords Location: Paragraph E, 2nd last line
Explanation: In the second sentence of paragraph E, Barker states that the team conducts observational studies for businesses to determine precisely how building tenants are using their structure. This more or less is an unusual job for a psychologist as per the passage.

6) Paragraph F

Answer: iv
Supporting Sentence: The government has a checklist of criteria that must be met in the design of new hospitals, and these are derived largely from the work of the behavioural scientist Professor Roger Ulrich,’ Chris Spencer says.
Keywords: checklist, criteria, hospitals, behavioural, design, hospital
Keywords Location: Paragraph F, 2nd line
Explanation: In the second line of paragraph F, it is stated that the government has a list of requirements for new hospital designs that are mostly based on the work of behavioural scientist Professor Roger Ulrich. So, the building followed the prescribed guidelines.

7) Paragraph G

Answer: vi
Supporting Sentence: It would be outrageous, silly, to go ahead with huge building projects without learning the lessons from the new towns established between 30 and 40 years ago,’ he warns.
Keywords: outrageous, silly, projects, lessons, towns
Keywords Location: Paragraph G, last line
Explanation: In the final sentence of paragraph G, it is said that starting large construction projects without taking into account the lessons learned from the new cities that were founded between thirty and forty years ago would be ridiculous and foolish.

Questions 8-9:
Choose TWO letters, A-E
Write the correct letters in boxes 8 and 9 on your answer sheet.
Which TWO of the following benefits are said to arise from the use of environmental psychology when planning buildings?

better relationships between staff
improved educational performance
reduction of environmental pollution
fewer mistakes made by medical staff
easier detection of crime

Question 8:

Answer: B
Supporting Sentence: Uzzell points to the rebuilding of one south London school as a striking example of how building design can affect human behaviour positively.
Keywords: school, human behaviour, building
Keywords Location: Paragraph C, 2nd last line
Explanation: In paragraph C, it is mentioned that Uzzell cites the renovation of one south London school as a remarkable illustration of how good architectural design may influence people's behaviour. Prior to its remodelling, it was considered the poorest school in the neighbourhood; today, it is recognised as one of the twenty schools in the nation with the greatest improvement. So, using environmental psychology while building design does improve the education environment.

Question 9:

Answer: D
Supporting Sentence: Zeisel also points to the need for a better balance between private and shared rooms in hospitals. ‘Falls are reduced and fewer medication errors occur’ in private rooms, he says. Frances Kuo and her co-researcher William Sullivan believe that greenery reduces crime – so long as visibility is preserved – because it reduces aggression, brings local residents together outdoors, and the conspicuous presence of people deters criminals.
Keywords: balance, medication errors, reduce crimes
Keywords Location: Paragraph G, first two lines and Paragraph B, last line
Explanation: According to the passage, Zeisel emphasises the need for a better balance between private and communal rooms in hospitals. In private rooms, he claims that "falls are minimised and medication errors are less common." As long as visibility is maintained, Frances Kuo and her co-researcher William Sullivan contend that greenery lowers crime because it reduces hostility, fosters community interaction outside, and deters criminals with its obvious human presence.

Questions 10-11:
Choose TWO letters, A-E
Write the correct letters in boxes 10 and 11 on your answer sheet.
Which TWO of the following research methods are mentioned in the passage?

the use of existing data relating to a geographical area
measuring the space given to a variety of activities
watching what people do in different parts of a building
analysing decisions made during the planning of a building
observing patients’ reactions to each other

Question 10:

Answer: A
Supporting Sentence: Uzzell has been involved in a pioneering project between MSc students in England and Scotland. Architecture students in Scotland acted as designers while environmental psychology students in England acted as consultants. Further acted as together they worked on a community project in a run-down area of Glasgow.
Keywords: pioneering, Architecture, environmental psychology
Keywords Location: Paragraph D, lines 1-4
Explanation: Uzzell took part in a groundbreaking project combining Scottish and English MSc students. As part of a community project in a blighted part of Glasgow, architecture students from Scotland served as designers. As well as environmental psychology students from England served as advisors.

Question 11:

Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: You might think that way-finding around the hospital is the responsibility of the person who puts all the signs up. But the truth is that the basic layout of a building is what helps people find their way around,’ he says.
Keywords: way finding, signs, layout
Keywords Location: Paragraph D, last line
Explanation: The final sentence of paragraph D reads, "You would think that way-finding around the hospital is the job of the person who sets up all the signs, but in reality, what helps people find their way around is the basic architecture of a building."

Questions 12-13:
Complete the sentences below
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 12 and 13 on your answer sheet.

12) The students from England suggested that the Scottish students should identify their ……………….

Answer: Client group
Supporting Sentence: The psychology students encouraged the architecture students to think about who their client group was, to consider issues of crowding and social cohesion, and they introduced them to psychological methodologies, for example observation and interviewing local residents about their needs.
Keywords: students, crowding, psychological methodologies
Keywords Location: Paragraph D, line 3
Explanation: The third line of paragraph D states that the psychology students urged the architectural students to evaluate who their target audience was. This was in order to take into account concerns of crowding and social cohesiveness. Further, they exposed them to psychological approaches, such as observation and interviewing locals about their requirements.

13) John Zeisel believes that if the building is clear, patient outcomes will improve ………………….

Answer: (Basic) Layout
Supporting Sentence: Even a hospital’s layout can impact people's health, according to Dr John Zeisel. ‘If people get lost in hospitals, they get stressed, which lowers their immune system and means their medication works less well.
Keywords: hospital layout, health, medication
Keywords Location: Paragraph F, 4th and 5th line
Explanation: According to Dr. John Zeisel, even a hospital's layout can affect patients' health, as stated in lines 4 and 5 of paragraph F. "If patients become disoriented in hospitals, they become worried, which reduces their immune system and makes treatment less effective."

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