Mediating effects of sex, self-monitoring, and environmental perception were examined in a study of the effects of social density on stress. Subjects were 53 male and 49 female dormitory residents living in single (n=38) vs triple (n=64) occupancy rooms. Measures of stress included blood pressure, heart rate, and psychosomatic symptomatology. It was hypothesized that the potential negative effects of high density would be greatest for males, low self-monitors, and persons judging their environment as relatively arousing and unpleasant. None of the major hypotheses were supported, and there was a tendency for singles to have higher mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure and greater diastolic variability.
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