The Effects of Situational Variables on Judgments of Crowding

In an attempt to determine the relationship of situational variables to judgments of crowding, 40 male and 40 female Ss were instructed to place wooden figures in model rooms until they believed the room was crowded. Eight situations were tested, each being related to the variables of degree of acquaintance, situation type and activity type. Specific hypotheses were: a) situations in which the participants were assumed to be acquainted with each other would produce a greater number of model placements than situations involving strangers; b) situations in which the participants were interacting would accommodate a greater number of placements than situations involving an independent activity; and c) a recreational activity would produce a greater number of placements before being considered crowded than a worth situation. The results confirmed all of the hypotheses.