Chapter 6 Crowding and Privacy

Three components of Crowding

1. Based on some antecedent- too many ppl, one's goal is blocked by others 2. Involves emotion, usually neg 3. Produces some behavioural response, ranging from overt aggression, reduced eye contact and leaving the scene

Montano Study on crowding

1. Four situation modes- includes experiences where ppl feel their B is constrained and their expectations have not been met. 2. Three affective modes-neg reactions to others or the situation or pos feelings (when they feel they delt w high density well) 3. Five behaviour modes- assertiveness, activity completion, psychological withdrawl, physical wd and adaptation 60 varieties of crowding exist

The world's pop has increased ____% in ______years

30%, 20yrs

What are the relations among personal space, territoriality, crowding and privacy? Ex of different perspectives

Altman believes personal space and territoriality are central in privacy

Theoretical Views of P

Altman's view- the standard but not wo problems Wolfe's lifespan perspective- the needs differs bt ppl and in a person's lifetime Archea- the physical setting is really important ex office spaces

Secondary E

Are those in which one has interactions w strangers that are brief and unimportant.

Primary Environments

Are those where one spends a sig amount of time , usually w personally sig objects

Psychological Stress and Mental Health

Both low and high indoor density can lead to low levels of social support and an increased risk of mental health problems

*Theories of Privacy: selective control of access to self (BDM)

Boundary-control process Dialectical process Multi-mechanism process-cultures employ a variety of means to optimize their privacy ex- verbal and non verbal behaviour

The hierarchy of needs

Certain aspects of privacy are more salient at lower job levels

*Culture as a Moderator (CCC)

Crime and fear of crime Cultures gradually learn Cultural strategies for handling high density

The provision of information

Crowding is affected by the amount and type of information one is given

Social density vs spatial density

Density can altered in two ways- by doubling the amount of ppl in the room or by cutting the room in half Social density- # of ppl in the same space is altered Spatial density-when the amount of space is altered both of these can lead to different psychological outcomes

Some outcomes of high density

Departure (leaving the scene) Performance-it depends Illness, less violence, less social support ex- can spread germs, depends on cultural and sanitation etc) Positive outcomes-density-intensity theory (Freedman, density magnifies the emotions that are already there, ex-the more ppl in the room w a comedy show on, it magnifies what's already happening)

*Sundstrom's studies

Depends on where you are in the hierarchal level Level 1- Level 2- Level 3- more need for protected information Needs should be met thru the office design 1. Studied office enclosures is associated w a person's feeling of P (subjective) 2. Looked at job types as well (hierar) same settings were applied secretary had less P 3. Before and after relocation-same type before and after 4. Ratings were lower after relocation Therefore the needs and expectations are not the same

Who gets crowded more? (8)

E LOC, higher desire for control, low sociability, non-screeners, not expecting high density, non-urbanities, bad mood, the unforesighted, the less physically strong, gender diffs

Proposed rules that would deem success for cultures in high density

Encouraging more psychological distance bt individuals Allowing more times and places for escape Developing stricter norms about what is said and to whom Restricting who may go where within the home and how each space wi the home is to be used Discouraging social interaction w acquaintances inside the home but encourage it in public places Learning to appreciate higher levels of social stimulation

Carry-over crowding

Feeling crowded in one situation can transfer over to another setting

How measure P?

First we need to define P. Ask how important it is for them. Measure their expectations. Behaviour Satisfaction Value Expectation Preference

Physiological stress and health

From high indoor density for those that prefer larger interpersonal distances

Personal influences on Privacy (GRP)

Gender-ex- men assigned to two-person rooms began to prefer more solitude, and those assigned to the 3 person rooms preferred less solitude Residential history-diffs in someone's bkground are related to privacy preferences (ex if they grew up in a city, they prefer more anonymity and intimacy as adults) Personality-persons with a higher need for privacy, feel less confident and more anxious. More reserved ppl who seek solitude tend to have lower self esteem and are less likely to seek intimacy from their family

Social physics theory

Gravitational effects are posited to be a function of mass (#of others present) and distance

When do pp feel more crowded

How the other ppl are around -social physics (not # of ppl, number of ppl Xs their distance they are away), touching, -personal vs neutral thwarting (stop), -when others fall into a category -Coalition formation 3 becomes 2+1 (1 feels lonely, isolated) -Quality of the relationship and social support

Study result on privacy and desire for it

In an older folks home, they found that residence that had the ability/option for more privacy, wanted more of it, therefore pl adapt to the level of privacy that is given to them

Both low density living combine with social hassles and lack of social support lead to

Increase the risk of mental disorders

Two more added features to Westin as per wilderness privacy

Individual cognitive freedom- the opportunity to do more or less as you please Social cognitive freedom- emphasizes freedom from the expectations of others

Inside density vs outside density

Indoor d- is the ratio of the individuals to space inside buildings Outdoor d-is the ratio of individuals to space outside usually the neighbourhood

The physical environment on privacy settings

Information distribution process- depending on how the space is being filled

Plp are predisposed to experience less crowding when density is high when:

Internal LOC, high affiliative tendency, a tendency to screen unwanted stimulus no-purist A about the setting, a preference for high density and an expectation of low density

Proposed change in Westin's faces, into two forms

Intimacy with family Intimacy with friends

Too much privacy

Is loneliness

Field experiment

Is the ideal RM, tho very difficult to carry out. Combines random ass and experimenter control

What does the aggregate approach use to study crowding?

It examines the density of a city and looks at connections bt density levels and social breakdown and disease

Learned helplessness

Lack of control teaches individuals attempting to cope, is fruitless ex children in overpop schools might just give up

Where do ppl feel crowded?

Long corridors Lower ceilings High rises Lower floors Darker walls Unpartitioned space Space wo signs (having the info makes ppl feel less crowded)

Performance

May be harmed under high density, when the task is complex when others are watching, and when performers an when performers must physically interact to complete a task

Altman's definition of privacy

Means being alone when you choose. Selective control is key (you can choose to be alone or w ppl easily)

Privacy

Notion of mgnt and control to ourselves, subject construct, we chose who has access to us Ppl that feel crowded seek privacy

Cultural Influences on Privacy

On a whole, cultures are not different in the amount of privacy they desire, however they vary considerably in how they achieve that privacy.

What is a better solution to crowdedness than more space?

Optimal arrangements

Social influences on Privacy

Our desire for intimacy varies with the social situation

Altman

P- is dialectic, dynamic and optimizing ( we struggle to match our desired to actual

Interpersonal similarity

People feel less crowded when it's with ppl that are similar to them (ex views)

Functions of P (4)

Personal Autonomy- destiny control mechanism Emotional release- let your hair down Self-evaluation- Reflecting Protected communication- let's decide

*Psychological processes of crowding (PBDO)

Personal control- when too crowded we lose control Behavioural control-refers to the ability to act toward a goal Decisional control-refers to the amount of choice available in a setting (ex- last 2 seats at the movies are behind two ppl w tal hats) Overload- social and informational overload

Influences on P

Personal- gender, personality, lifestage Social-topics of conversation, status Cultural-are some cultures more private than others- different mechanisms used to achieve Physical setting- room arrangements ex acoustic means and mechanisms differ among ppl

Personal thwarting and neutral thwarting

Personal- interference we think is directed at us Neutral- interference we believe is not directed at us How we interpret is an important determinant of crowd intensity.

*Antecedents of crowding (PSP)

Personal-ex- being male, coming to a relatively new culture, or being unfamiliar or familiar with the setting in Q Social: Density intensity theory-density itself is not harmful but that is magnifies whatever else is going on ex if the social climate is neg then density will worsen the situation Social physics model Physical- architectural factors influence crowding

What makes ppl feel crowded? (PEN MAPP)

Personality Expectations Norms Mood Attitudes Psychiatric status Preferences

Architectural Variations on crowding

Physical influence, affected by the arrangement of space in the rooms and blds

*Consequences of crowding (PBC)

Physiological consequences-can lead to heightened bp Behavioural- ex ppl walk faster when they're stressed Cognitive-crowding can be dealt with by changing what ones thinks of the world -away from or away to

Mathematical F for proximity

Population Density Index Is the average distance bt all pairs of individuals in a setting, adjusted for the area of space collectively occupy

High density can often have negative except for when

Ppl are preforming activities that they are already high competent in, it may increase performance

Crowding partly depends on

Preferences Expectations-How many ppl you think are gng to be there vs actual Norms

Privacy in Housing

Privacy gradient- balance bt solitude and community- has to be a balance

Alan Westin four functions of privacy

Protected communication- a key reason why employees are unhappy is due to lack of privacy with communication Sense of control- having little control leads to individuals to feel deprived of autonomy Important for our sense of identity-we need privacy to to enable us to integrate all the info from daily exchanges with others Allows for emotional release ex in private we can weep, weeping is not accepted in public

Crowding

Refers to a person's experience of the number of ppl around; it is a subjective feeling Crowding may correspond to high density but is not that strong ex you can feel crowded by just one person

Physical Influences on Privacy

Satisfaction with privacy at work is related to the degree of physical enclosure one is allowed. Open space at work often breeds dissatisfaction

Stimulus Screening

Screeners might be able to deal w the social overload more than nonscreeners

Two add-on features to Westin's faces of privacy

Seclusion- living away from the sights and sounds of traffic and other ppl Not neighbouring- refers to a dislike of casual visiting and general contact w neighbours

Additions

Seclusion- someone who lives away from others Non neighbouring- oh, uh the house is a mess Isolation Solitude- seeks to be removed from others but not completely Intimacy- Anonymity- surrounded by other but not interacting, being alone in a psychological way

What are the 2 psychological processes that occur from crowding

Sensory overload Lack of control

*Social (and antisocial B) (SADUSH)

Social pathology Aggression Dislike and hostility Unhelpfulness Social withdrawal Humour

Westin's 4 types of privacy

Solitude Intimate- alone together w someone else Anonymity- around ppl but chose to be left alone ex- being alone in a coffee shop Reserve- psychological barrier ex-controlling what type of info you share

Alan Westin's four faces of privacy (SAIR)

Solitude-being alone (extreme privacy) Intimacy-refers to group privacy as when a pair of lovers wants to be alone Anonymity- form of privacy desired when a person wishes to be among others but does not want to be personally identified or to interact on a personal basis Reserve- creation of a psychological barrier against intrusion- when you wish to limit your conversation with others about you

Residential crowding

Sometimes increased control over a small space is preferable to shared control over a lrg space

Coalition Formation

Stress of crowding is mediated better with the formation of pairs

LOC

Tendency to believe or not that we have control Internals tend to believe this more and are thus able to deal with high density better

Crowding is likely to worsen when

The density is higher, the bld is higher, the coridoors are longer, the ceiling is lower, the walls are curved, less sunlight

The lifecycle

The development of the self is based on a gradual realization that self and non self are distinct

Privacy at work

The type of work being done, and amount of desired privacy and the type of interactions have to be taken into consideration

Sundstrom observed that across one's progression of careers, privacy

Varies as a function of status

P: a Comprehensive Model

We try to match our desired with achieved to get optimum by using control mechs

Adaptation and regulation and privacy

When ppl have less privacy than they desire they might adapt to believe that they don't need as much privacy than they thought

Visiting Public Places

When the functional capacity of a place is 2/3 full 2/3 of the time some ppl will not come back

Scale

a type of physical influence. crowding is a function of which scale we consider snd the different factors at each scale is being considered. ex- is your city crowded? your neighbourhood?

Lab experiments

best opportunity for drawing causal conclusions bc the researcher has more control over the variables and can uses random ass good for observing certain processes

2 drawbacks the lab experiments

brevity of exposure, and possible low external validity

The world's pop is _______ than it used to be in the 1960s

doubled

High density can

enhance humour and creates negative emotion

We feel less crowded if we

find some privacy

Transit users do not experience more crowding as a function of the density of the train car but they do as a function of the

immediate proximity of others

Field studies

in a natural setting

Activity and crowding

in general, floaters are the least crowded, then hunters, and campers and canoeists are the most crowded.

Child development and privacy

infants have little need for solitude but need physical intimacy

There is some empirical research that says that privacy

is a cultural universal

Density

is an objective measure of the amount of individuals per unit area, including: earth, homes, nations, cities, rooms Different densities lead to different behaviours

In confined settings women usually___________, but men cope better when______________.

manage high density better, when escape is possible

Crowding in the wild

one solution is behavioural zoning- so that campers w similar values find themselves in compatible company

Adaptation effect

person with a history of exposure to high density tolerate it better

Christopher Alexander in Peru

privacy gradient- more public in the front on the entrance, more private in the back

Wolf pointed out that ________, ___________, and ___________vary over one's lifecycle

privacy preferences, expectations, and satisfaction

Behaviour setting theory

resource shortage

How to achieve P?

space, territoriality (ex children 8-12, might close their doors), choosing locations (teenager might chose to leave their home to achieve T), Verbal, nonverbal, and paraverbal

Density-intensity and social physics

the number of other ppl nearby, who those ppl are and what they are doing

Crowding Density and Privacy are not always _______ and ______

the number of ppl around you, getting away from other ppl

Reactance

the tend to maintain one's original freedom of choice even when it's threatened

Sociability

those who are more social tend to have a higher density tolerance

What is one of the major goals of social behaviour

to regulate the amount of time we have with others

The World Population Context

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