The potential contribution of psycholoy to the expertise of designers and engineers - theoretical dimensions and practical applications

Abstract

Several recent and growing areas of research in Psychology such as Positive Psychology and Environmental Psychology intercept the contemporary issues of how improving the well-being of individuals and communities and how promoting the adoption of a more sustainable lifestyle in every life-stage. These contemporary challenges request for Designers and Engineers acquiring knowledge and skills that can enable them in creating new concepts, ideas and manufactures. The systemic approach to these complex issues about well-being and environment will request to future experts the ability to work in multi-professional teams and integrate their expertise in order to reach a multidimensional solution. Through a mixed methodology, theoretical and with active participated laboratory, students enrolled in Design and Engineering Courses improve their knowledge in these psychological topics and then apply it in group laboratories, producing new ideas through the creative team techniques such as brainstorming. A special attention is reserved to the interpersonal communication processes for their pivotal role in favouring a positive psychological climate among the participants that increases motivation and creativity at work. The experience of the experimental Course of Creative Thinking and Psychology for well-being of population and for sustainable behaviours that took places at Obuda University and in Italy will be discussed and some elaborations produced by students will be presented.