Psy 460 effect of population density and noise

The Effect of Population Density and Noise

Jackie Clanton

Psy/460

February 21, 2014

Charlene Tolbert

The Effect of Population Density and Noise

Population density and noise both have several effects on individuals as well as the population as a whole. People and/or groups can be territorial and everyone needs some amount of privacy and personal space. As the population grows the desire to have a space of their own causes some people to take extreme measures. People that live in urban areas with little or no greenery around can find peace at zoo’s, parks, and gardens. The amount of noise a person in counters though out their day can also affect their mood and wellbeing. There are several ways to reduce noise in the home and work place including…..

Territoriality, Privacy, and Personal Space

A territory is defined as controlled area of any size (Steg, 2013). Territories are important to people as individuals and people as groups. Individually speaking people may have a cubicle or a desk at work that is their territory these area work best when there are clearly marked territorial boundaries (Steg, 2013). People can learn a lot about each other by the way they customize their territories (Steg, 2013).

Privacy is defined by the Webster on-line dictionary as the state of being alone, away from other people, and out of public attention. People get privacy through developing territories and personal space. Everyone needs at least some privacy some of the time. Some people are require more privacy than others who prefer to be around people more than they are alone.

Personal space is considered a three dimensional bubble that surrounds us and moves with us (Steg, 2013). In America most people have layers of these bubbles and they let different people enter different levels of the layers (Steg, 2013). In order to enter someone’s personal space they must first grant you permission to do so (Steg, 2013). Personal space can vary greatly from one person to the next and from culture to culture. Another factor of personal space is the relationship with the other person or persons and their genders (Steg, 2013). Men usually need a larger personal space than women and get more upset when someone intrudes on their space (Steg, 2013). Some individual factors that contribute to the amount of personal space a person needs could be their level of anxiety, their level of self –esteem, and even how tall they are (Steg, 2013).

Nature and Urban Environments

Nature is virtually non-existent in some urban environments; the full effect this causes on people is yet to be determined, however studies and experiments are being conducted to try and reach an idea of what effect nature has on human beings. Experiments by Mayer, Frantz, Bruehlman – Senecal, and Dolliver showed that being around nature had a positive effect on people’s ability to solve unresolved life problems (Steg, 2013). The term micro-restorative experience’s refers to coming in contact with nature by doing things such as looking out a window or reading about nature in a book or even looking at a picture of it (Steg, 2013). People with low stress levels seem to gain a lot from micro-restorative experience’s where as people with high stress levels get more out of being in the natural environment (Steg, 2013). Due to all these findings people are trying harder to implement nature into everyday environments such as school, work, home, and healthcare facilities.

Noise and its Effects

Noise is defined by the Merriam Webster on-line dictionary as a loud or unpleasant sound. The effect that noise has on a person has been found to be determined by the person perception of the noise (Steg, 2013). For example, if a person finds the hustle and bustle of the city noise to be calming and relaxing then it is and if they find it to be unbearable and annoying then it is (Steg, 2013).

Ways to Reduce Noise

Conclusion

References

Privacy. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved February 21, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/privacy