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The term “ecology” refers to a branch of science where organisms are studied in relation to their environment. Organisms interact with their physical surroundings and other living things creating a dynamic ecosystem, and the growth and sustainability of living things are maintained by their participation in these relational systems (Heft, 2013). Although ecology stems from biology, the term and its meaning are used and applied across various disciplines.

Within psychology, the role of the environment may be acknowledged to varying degrees, but historically psychology has been dominated by approaches that dichotomize person and environment and apply experimental techniques seeking to control contextual variables and reduce the “noise” created by external factors (Tudge et al., 1996). Therefore, ecological psychology was initially marginalized, and some of the early work only came to fruition long after it was originally published (Heft, 2013). Contemporary psychology now sees a more prominent place for ecological perspectives. The following sections will take a closer look at ecological perspectives in psychology and examine some of the underlying principles that they have in common.