Human cognition is embedded in and shaped by ecological contexts. As environmental change, urbanization, and climate-related stressors intensify, understanding how the mind perceives, values, and responds to environments becomes central to promoting sustainable behaviour and psychological resilience. This paper develops the concept of ecological cognition — the collection of perceptual, attentional, affective, and representational processes by which people make sense of environmental conditions — and links it explicitly to behavioural adaptation. Drawing on environmental psychology, cognitive science, behavioural ecology, and sustainability studies, we synthesize theory and empirical findings on attention restoration, stress-reduction, eco-anxiety, value formation, and the cognitive impacts of urban density. We argue that (1) ecological contexts scaffold cognitive states that either enable or inhibit adaptive, pro-environmental behaviour; (2) moderate ecological concern motivates engagement, while extreme distress can undermine agency; and (3) interventions that combine ecological literacy, cognitive restoration opportunities, and behaviourally informed policy are more likely to yield durable change than information-only approaches. The paper proposes an integrative, testable model linking Perception → Appraisal → Emotion → Action, outlines methodological approaches for empirical validation (experimental, longitudinal, neurocognitive, ethnographic), and offers practical recommendations for urban design, education, and public policy. Understanding ecological cognition provides a bridge between individual psychological processes and collective ecological outcomes, and it suggests new leverage points for creating resilient socio-ecological systems.
V. G. Sadh (Mon,) studied this question.