Research into spatial influences on people's everyday activities and experiences presents many conceptual and methodological complexities. Written by leading authorities, this book provides a comprehensive framework for collecting and analyzing reliable person-environment-behavior data in real-world settings that rarely resemble the controlled conditions described in typical texts. An array of research designs are illustrated in chapter-length examples addressing such compelling issues as spatial patterns of voting behavior, ways in which disabilities affect people's travel and wayfinding, how natural and built environments evoke emotional responses, spatial factors in elementary teaching and learning, and more. A special chapter guides the student or beginning researcher to craft a successful research proposal.

This book provides insightful coverage of the complexities inherent in studying the relationships between people, their everyday environments, and behavior. Key theories and findings from studies of physical space, sociospatial environments, and behavior are presented, as are a wide array of qualitative and quantitative methods. The volume offers an original approach to conducting and understanding research in this interdisciplinary field, making it a valuable contribution.--Daniel Stokols, PhD, Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, School of Social Ecology, University of California, IrvinePresents a wealth of valuable information for scholars of spatial behavior across disciplinary boundaries, from beginning to more advanced researchers. The volume's format is essential to its strength. The progression from methods and topics in the initial sections to concrete, successful applications in the latter sections is effective. Readers can easily locate and reference the parts of the book that will meet their particular needs.--Scott Bell, PhD, Population Studies Training Center, Brown University This book should be a mandatory addition to the library of any person-environment-behavior researcher, and will be a welcome primer for graduate students facing serious research design for the first time. There is nothing else like it on the market, and the authors are giants in the field. Many examples from seminal research studies connect the concepts discussed to real-world practices. This book provides 'one-stop shopping' in a complex and challenging field. It will certainly be a useful graduate-level text.--Jon Malinowski, PhD, Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering, United States Military Academy -