Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The pace of life

  • Letter
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

THE specific effects of population pressure on the quality of everyday life should be of pressing social and policy concern; and although population studies have proliferated in the behavioural sciences, research has focused primarily on fertility-related behaviours1,2. Moreover, the few social scientists interested in the relationship of the numbers of humans to individual human behaviour have been puzzled by a dearth of clear-cut effects3. This study reports preliminary analyses from a larger cross-cultural investigation of the quality of life. Following a suggestion from Lowin et al.4, we have systematically observed the rates of pedestrian locomotion over a constant distance in 15 cities and towns in six countries in Europe, Asia and North America. The results of these observations indicate that pace of life varies in a regular fashion with the size of the local population, regardless of the cultural setting.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bartz, W. R., Am. Psychol., 25, 500 (1970).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Fawcett, J. T. (ed.), Psychological Perspectives on Population (Basic Books New York, 1973).

  3. Lawrence, J. E. S., Psychol. Bull., 81, 712 (1974).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Lowin, A., Hottes, H. A., Sandier, B. E., and Bornstein, M. H., J. soc. Psychol., 83, 247 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Wirth, L. J., Am. J. Soc., 44, 1 (1938).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Freedman, J. L., in Psychological Perspectives on Population (edit. by Fawcett, J. T.), 234 (Basic Books, New York, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Carnahan, D., Grove, W., and Galle, O. R., Soc. Forces, 53, 63 (1974).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Stokols, D., Psychol. Rev., 79, 275 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Desor, J. A., J. Personality soc. Psychol., 21, 79 (1972).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Milgram, S., Science, 167, 1461 (1970).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Zajonc, R. B., Science, 149, 269 (1965).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, 08540

    MARC H. BORNSTEIN

  2. Max-Planck-lnstitut für Psychiatrie,

    MARC H. BORNSTEIN

  3. Max-Planck-lnstitut für Psychiatrie, 8, Munich, 40, Kraepelinstrasse 1O, West Germany

    HELEN G. BORNSTEIN

Authors
  1. MARC H. BORNSTEIN
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. HELEN G. BORNSTEIN
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

BORNSTEIN, M., BORNSTEIN, H. The pace of life. Nature 259, 557–559 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/259557a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/259557a0

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation