dr. R.G. (Rob) Withagen

Affective Gibsonian Psychology

In my theoretical work I aim to develop an ecological approach to our affective engagement with the environment. The central idea is that we are not simply in the environment, but relate to it—things matter to us. Starting from Gibson’s central concepts, and drawing upon phenomenology, developmental systems thinking, and insights from clinical psychologists, I aim to develop a theoretical framework that allows us to understand our emotional engagement with the environment (and the individual differences therein), without returning to the Cartesian assumptions that have plagued psychology since the 17th century.