Larry M. Dean

Spatial and Perceptual Components of Crowding: Effects on Health and Satisfaction

negative impact of crowding on various animal behaviors (Stokols, 1974; Calhoun, 1962; Christian et al., 1960; Thiessen and Rodgers, 1961). However, the resu Its of research on the effects of crowding in human populations are quite inconsistent. For example, the negative effects of crowding on certain behaviors have been reported by Griffitt and Veitch (1971), while positive effects on related behaviors have been reported by Loo (1972). In addition, some investigators have found no significant relationship between various observed behaviors and crowding ( Freedman et al., 1971).

Interpersonal Touch among Adults in Cafeteria Lines

Previous studies have indicated that interpersonal touch decreases with age. In the present study 1012 pairs of college students and 212 pairs of elderly subjects were observed in cafeteria queues. Instances of touch were recorded along with sex, race, and body parts used to touch and touched. College students segregated themselves by race and sex just as the younger students had been observed to do in previous studies. Unlike all previous studies the elderly subjects did not segregate themselves by gender. For college students, touch was highest for female to male combinations; blacks were more likely to touch other blacks and least likely to touch whites. Touch was more likely among elderly subjects for female to female interactions than it was for college students, but there were no differences for the other gender combinations. In college students personal body areas were used to touch those of different gender while impersonal body areas were used to touch those of the same gender; personal body areas were more likely to be touched by others of the other gender. For elderly subjects there were no differences in frequencies with which personal or impersonal areas were involved in touch in relation to gender for either area used to touch or area touched.

The Behavioral Effects of Crowding: Definitions and Methods.

Crews of 18 U.S. Navy combat vessels rated their living and working conditions aboard ship, including degree of crowding. In order to understand better the behavioral effects of crowding, three different types of measures, corresponding to different definitions of crowding, were constructed. These separate crowding measures correlated uniquely with satisfaction and illness criteria.

Correlates of Depressive Mood Among Normals.

In order to determine the correlates of depressive mood, members of a womens volunteer organization were surveyed by a mailed questionnaire that included the Depression Adjective Check List (DACL) Form E and 14 depression-related measures. Correlations are presented and discussed. Highest correlations are with measures whose relationship to depressive mood are most clear.