Crowding Effects of Density and Interpersonal Distance

Abstract

In this study, Turkish teenagers were the subjects in an investigation of the effects of spatial and social variables on perceived crowding. In Study 1, male and female subjects were presented with diagrams that simulated social situations in which (a) distance between the subject and other persons, (b) number, or density, of subjects, (c) sex, and (d) friendship were systematically varied. Results indicated a significant crowding effect for interpersonal distance but not for density. In Study 2, data from Turkish college students showed that the lack of effect for density on crowding was stable. Friendship and sex of others had significant main and interaction effects.

Impacts of Store Crowding on Shopping Behavior and Store Image

“…Intrusions into one's personal space usually cause perceptions of crowding (Altman, 1975). Thus, people who need more personal space generally perceive more crowding (Rustemli, 1992). Therefore, it seems reasonable to assume that shoppers with a higher tolerance of crowding perceive lower retail crowding than do those with lower crowding tolerance.…”

The differential effects of retail density: An investigation of goods versus service settings

“…The crowding literature seems to converge on an information processing explanation, positing that people experience information overload under high density conditions (Eroglu and Machleit, 1990). Confronted with inadequate space, a person feels reduced control over the situation and experiences stress and arousal that, in turn, eventuate in feelings of being crowded (Rustemli, 1992). Rompay et al (2008) suggest that perceived control mediates the effects of spatial density on pleasure and approach behaviors, and there is an overall negative relation between spatial density and perceived control.…”

Cross-cultural differences in crowd assessment

“…Several other researchers (Eroglu and Harrell, 1986;Rustemli, 1993) support this conceptual definition of crowding as a negative affective evaluation of a dense situation.…”