On the distinction between density and crowding: Some implications for future research.

There has been a general tendency to view crowding in terms of spatial considerations alone, and a failure to delineate those social and personal dimensions which may interact with spatial factors to mediate the experience of crowding.

Abstract

Identifies a distinction between the physical condition, density, defined purely in terms of spatial parameters, and the experience of crowding, a motivational state aroused through the interaction of spatial, social, and personal factors, and directed toward the alleviation of perceived spatial restriction. Future studies pertaining to augmentation of space, subjective reports of restriction, observational indexes of tension, and physiological indicators of strain are suggested. (19 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1972 American Psychological Association.