Environmental Satisfaction, Coping, and Health Outcomes in the Office Habitat

One of the guiding theorems of habitat selection theory is that organisms should seek out and prefer to be in environments that are conducive to their survival and well-being and that they should avoid environments that are likely to have negative effects (Orions, 1980). If such environments cannot be avoided, then organisms should engage in behaviors likely to reduce discomforts or harm. For humans, such behaviors include modifications of the environment, changes in behavior that lead to a better "fit" with environmental condition, and intrapsychic processes that change how one thinks or feels about the environment. In this paper, we would like to explore the relationship between people and the work environment as it relates to the habitat selection theorem. Specifically, we will look at how people modify their environments to make them more appealing and how they cope with discomforts. We will also identify features of the environment that influence satisfaction levels and health outcomes.