The Effects of Urbanization on Interpersonal Behavior

Abstract

Research conducted in Western societies has revealed urban-small town differences in a number of social behaviors, including differences in the "pace of life," affiliative behavior toward strangers, and helping behavior toward strangers. The present series of field studies was carried out in Papua New Guinea to see if similar urban-rural differences existed there. In the first series of studies, people in Port Moresby, the largest city, were found to carry out certain activities at a greater speed than people observed in two rural centers. In the second series of studies, interactions between buyers and sellers in traditional marketplaces and in European-style shops were found to exhibit less positive affect in the large city than in the rural areas. However, in the third set of studies, interactions with tourists of European descent were found to be equally positive in urban and rural areas. The findings in relation to tourist-host contacts are discussed in relation to the special role the tourist occupies in many developing countries.