Household crowding and social support: a quasiexperimental analysis.
People often cope with crowded living conditions by socially withdrawing from their housemates. This coping strategy may overgeneralize, influencing social interactions with others outside the home. In a stressful laboratory situation, Ss from crowded homes, in comparison with uncrowded counterparts, are less likely to seek support from a confederate and rate the confederate as less supportive. Moreover, Ss from crowded homes are less likely to offer support to a confederate in need. These differences in social interaction behaviors appear to be attributable to crowded residents' social withdrawal.
Evans
G W
GW
Department of Design and Environmental Analysis, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853.
Lepore
S J
SJ
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003441:Crowding / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012107:Research Design; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*