Crowding Norms: Alternative Measurement Approaches

Research on crowding-related standards of quality increasingly has focused on personal and social norms. Several norm-measurement approaches have been developed. This study compares and evaluates three issues related to alternative norm measurement approaches: numerical versus visual approach, long versus short question format, and evaluative dimension. Study data are drawn from a multiphase program of research on crowding on the carriage roads of Acadia National Park, Maine. Differences in crowding norms developed from alternative measurement approaches are described and discussed. Study findings suggest that commonly used norm-measurement approaches may lead to crowding-related standards of quality that are overly conservative.