Affordance-Based Design: Translating Ecological Psychology into Adaptive Environments for Health and Wellbeing

Abstract:

This paper presents a framework for applying ecological psychology principles to design adaptive environments that promote health and wellbeing across diverse contexts. Grounded in affordance theory and perception-action coupling, the research demonstrates how intentional design can optimize organism-environment dynamics to support physical activity, cognitive restoration, social connection, and emotional regulation. Through case studies in architectural design, healthcare facilities, educational settings, and assistive technology, we illustrate how identifying and manipulating environmental affordances—action possibilities latent in physical features—can elicit specific adaptive behaviors. The findings highlight that effective design must account for individual differences in perceptual-motor capabilities, cultural norms, and situational demands, creating environments that are simultaneously inclusive, flexible, and contextually relevant. The paper concludes with a set of evidence-based design principles that translate ecological psychology concepts into practical strategies for architects, designers, healthcare professionals, and technologists, emphasizing the importance of embedding behavior-supporting features within the physical environment rather than relying on explicit behavioral instructions.