Ahhh...look at the beauty above. Not the most luxurious or most expensive but it’s mine and I love it! My 2009 Mazda 6. I’ve had it less than a year but it’s already full of great memories. I have experienced every emotion you can imagine and have done a lot of thinking and daydreaming in that space. This space is more than just a car for me, it’s where important conversations happen, where I put on those extra pounds by eating Taco Bell, and where I sing my favorite songs or listen to my favorite radio show. In our discussion of Strange and Banning (2001) we went over the 3 ways in which the behavior of a user is influenced by the built environment or space: determinism, possibilism, and probablisim. In this post, my car is the “built environment” and I’m going to discuss how my behavior is influenced by those three factors.
Deterministic is described by Strange and Banning (2001) as a “direct link between the built environment and behavior within it” (p. 13). For my car, the direct link is that it’s built for me to drive. The sole purpose of any vehicle is to get a person from one location to the next. But as we all know, we often engage in other behaviors while we’re driving (PLEASE DON’T TEXT AND DRIVE!), which is one flaw in seeing a space as deterministic. Most spaces, although we often see them as deterministic, are more complex than just a direct link. For instance, I listen to music, talk on my phone, eat, or sometimes read or take a nap in my car (the last two happen only when I’m a passenger or just sitting in a parking lot waiting for one reason or another). This is where possibilism comes in. Strange and Banning state “Possibilism views the physical environment to a source of opportunities that may set limits on, but not restrict, behavior” (p. 13). Meaning, it’s possible that I will not only drive my car when I’m in it but because of the radio which came with my car, it is also possible that I will listen to the radio. The space also allows for me to eat, drink, (and be merry!). I have cup holders which come in handy for my coffee or water. I also have a mirror in my car so it’s possible that I would engage in grooming behaviors. However, my car does put a limit on some behaviors. For example, I can’t cook in my car, but my car could take me somewhere where they cook for me.
The last factor, probability “assumes that certain behaviors have probabilistic links to the built environment” (p.14). I spend a lot of time in car. During the week it’s an hour commute to and from work and I travel back and forth to St. Louis about twice a year (hello 12 hour drive!). This is where probability comes in. If I were just making a short trip to the store up the street I am probably not going to take the time to really listen to my radio or eat in my car. However, because of the time I spend in it during the week and on road trips, it’s more probable that I’ll listen to the morning talk shows on the radio and sing out loud to the songs playing. I’m also in my car during a time of day when most of us eat breakfast, making it probable that I will eat a nutrigrain bar and drink a coffee while in my car.
Where would we be without our cars? Lost and possibly or probably a few pounds lighter.
Strange and Banning (2001). Physical environments: The role of design and space. In Education by design: Creating campus learning environments that work. (pp.9-32).
