Type of Activity and Failure as Mediators of Perceived Crowding

Abstract

High density can hinder or facilitate the attainment of an activity, so activities can be typified as density-hindered or density-facilitated. This quasi-experimental field study was conducted at a high-density street fair to examine if the type of activity (density-hindered or density-facilitated) important to a person in a high-density situation would mediate perceptions of crowding. It was hypothesized that perceptions of crowding would be positively correlated with the importance of density-hindered activities, but negatively correlated with importance of densityfacilitated activities. Additionally, it was hypothesized, on the basis of an attributional model of crowding, that perceptions of crowding would be positively correlated with experienced failure. Support was found for both hypotheses, stressing the importance of examining the person-environment interaction in work on crowding.