Skip to main content
Log in

A critique of figure placement procedures in studies of crowding

  • Notes In Brief ...
  • Published:
Environmental psychology and nonverbal behavior Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Although often used, Desor's figure-placement procedure makes an assumption that has not been tested. Two studies briefly reported indicate that the assumption that a constant criterion of crowdedness is being applied to different conditions is not always true. Several implications for simulation techniques and for general research strategies are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Altman, I.The environment and social behavior. Monterey, Calif.: Brooks/Cole, 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baum, A., & Davis, G. E. Spatial and social aspects of crowding perception.Environment and Behavior, 1976,8, 527–544.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baum, A., & Valins, S. Residential environments, group size, and crowding.Proceedings of the 81st Annual Convention, American Psychological Association, 1973, 211–212.

  • Baum, A., & Valins, S.Architecture and social behavior: Psychological studies of social density. Hillsdale, N.J.: Erlbaum, 1977.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, J. L., Sladen, B., & Bennett, B. The effects of situational variables on judgments of crowding.Sociometry, 1975,38, 273–281.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cozby, P. C. Effects of density, activity, and personality on environmental preferences.Journal of Research in Personality, 1973,7, 45–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Long, A. J. The use of scale models in spatial-behavioral research.Man-Environment Systems, 1976,6, 179–182.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Long, A. J. The accuracy of spatial perception by informants in scalemodel environments.Man-Environment Systems, 1977,7, 55–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Desor, J. A. Toward a psychological theory of crowding.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1972,21, 79–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • McKechnie, G. E. Simulation techniques in environmental psychology. In D. Stokols (Ed.),Perspectives on environment and behavior: Theory, research, and applications. New York: Plenum Press, 1977.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, S., & Nardini, K. M. Individual differences in the perception of crowding.Environmental Psychology and Nonverbal Behavior, 1977,2, 3–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schafer, E. L., & Richards, T. A. A comparison of viewer reactions to outdoor scenes and photographs of those scenes. In D. Canter & T. Lee (Eds.),Psychology and the built environment. New York: Halstead, 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sundstrom, E. Crowding as a sequential process: Review of research on the effects of population density on humans. In A. Baum and Y. Epstein (Eds.),Human response to crowding. Hillsdale, N.J.: Erlbaum, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  • Winkel, G. H., & Sasanoff, R. An approach to an objective analysis of behavior in architectural space. In H. Proshansky, W. A. Ittelson, & L. G. Rivlin (Eds.),Environmental psychology: Man and his physical setting. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

Reference Notes

  • Firestone, I. J., Karuza, J., Greenberg, C. I., & Kingama, K. The perception of crowding: Modality, perspective and feedback effects.EDRA 8 Proceedings, 1977, in press.

  • Greenberg, C. I., & Chambers, D. Further tests on the validity of the model room simulator on crowding threshold judgments.EDRA 9 Proceedings, 1978, in press.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Michael Stevens assisted in conducting the research.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Knowles, E.S. A critique of figure placement procedures in studies of crowding. J Nonverbal Behav 3, 62–64 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01114533

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01114533

Keywords

Navigation