Citation

Baum A, Mapp K, Davis GE. Environ. Psychol. Nonverbal. Behav. 1978; 2(3): 145-160.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1978, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/BF01145817

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The present research is concerned with the effects of architecturally determined residential group size on the development of social groups and norms of social control over shared interior spaces. Previous research has revealed a positive relationship between residential group size and the importance of residential group formation as a moderator variable in the numerosity crowding-relationship. It was predicted that residents of a long-corridor dormitory (36-40 per floor) would be less likely to form social groups and convert shared public spaces to group-controlled semiprivate interaction loci than residents of a short-corridor dormitory (60-63 per floor subdivided into clusters of approximately 20 by design features). A series of interview, observational, and field experimental studies yielded data supporting this hypothesis. Long-corridor residents expressed lower feelings of control over what happened to them in shared interior spaces and reported that they exerted less group-derived social control over hallway space than did short-corridor residents. In contrast to long-corridor residents, subjects residing in the short-corridor design were more likely to report that other areas of their floor were under the proprietary interests of neighbors and their patterns of space use reflected this perception. Long-corridor residents were also found to be less socially responsive to another person's presence in shared areas over which they exercised less social control than did short-corridor residents. The results are discussed in terms of the inhibiting effect of large group size on the development of residential social control and the ability of residents to regulate local social contact.

Language: en