Coping with Crowding: Television, Patterns of Activity, and Adaptation to High Density Environments

Abstract

This research shows that life style interacts with population density in predicting psychological strain. Persons who are inclined to engage in outdoor leisure activities are more likely to experience strain in conjunction with building density. This is consistent with an environmental opportunity-constraint model. The study supports also the perspective that some styles of life insulate actors from then environments. Individuals with an inclination to spend leisure time away from home and persons who tend to watch television are less likely to experience strain in conjunction with household or building density. Data were collected from interviews with 442 residents of public housing in two middle sized Canadian cities. Stepwise regression, with dummy variables representing interaction terms, is used to analyze the data.