Environmental Preferences: A Critical Analysis of Some Research Methodologies

Abstract

This paper examines the methods and visual media employed by three studies which analyze environmental descriptions and preferences. The literature on this general area and on the use of the photographic media for this purpose is constituted, to a large extent, by empirical analysis reporting on their findings. Attempts to analyze and to evaluate the methodologies wed are limited. The goal of this paper is to analyze the research methods critically to identify their main assets and liabilities, and to propose some alternative approaches. Selection of the three studies was based on the author's view of their interest to other researchers, their potential for use or misuse, and their use of photography to analyze and measure environmental preferences.