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A look into the ideas of ecological psychology with legendary Harry Heft. Known for his renowned contributions to environmental and ecological psychology, Heft discusses the concept of affordances, a term coined by JJ Gibson, and its application across various fields. Heft traces the intellectual lineage from William James to Gibson, emphasizing a relational rather than dualistic approach to understanding perception and action. The conversation spans affordances in cultural contexts, the significance of immediate experience, the importance of teaching and the dynamic relationship between humans and their environment.
Video here.
Show notes here.
00:00 Introduction to Relational Thinking
00:45 Affordances and Cultural Domain
01:20 Navigating Without Maps
01:42 Animacy and Historical Context
02:09 Welcome and Guest Introduction
02:54 Exploring Affordances with Harry Heft
07:25 Upcoming Conversations and Reflections
08:46 Harry Heft's Journey into Environmental Psychology
12:38 Understanding Ecological Psychology
21:08 Behaviorism and Perception
37:54 Affordances in Design and Interaction
40:59 The Power of Affordances in AI and Robotics
42:54 Affordances in Cultural Contexts
43:58 Wayfinding and Navigation: A Deeper Dive
47:04 Cognitive Maps and Perception
01:00:26 The Evolution of Gibson's Theories
01:12:30 Teaching and Environmental Awareness
01:17:30 Acts of Love in Teaching and Writing
Harry's book on James and Gibson
Affordances in the Body
"Prof. Heft has been on the Denison faculty since 1976. His graduate training was in an interdisciplinary program concerning the relationship between psychological processes and the environment. At Denison, he has been a recipient of the Charles A. Brickman Award for Teaching Excellence. He has also been elected as a Fellow in both the American Psychological Association and the American Psychological Society. Dr. Heft serves on the Editorial Boards of the journals “Environment & Behavior” and “William James Studies,” and he is the Book Review Editor for the “Journal of Environmental Psychology.” He teaches courses in environmental psychology, history and systems of psychology, and cultural psychology.'

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