Differences in Lost Letter and Postal Card Returns from Cities and Smaller Urban Communities

Abstract

Two field studies comprised of two experiments each used “570 lost letters and 720 lost postal cards” to test the hypothesis that returns would be greater from smaller urban communities (population M = 63,997) than from cities (population M = 93,242) unless the addressee was affiliated with a socially or politically deviant group. The effect of deviance altered return rates but only in Study B's letter experiment. In Study A, the effects of location and political deviance on letter returns from cities were greater than those from smaller urban communities even when the person in need of help was affiliated with the highly deviant “Socialists. Militia, or Aryan-Front” conditions. Returned postal cards from dues were fewer than from smaller urban communities. Cost did not influence returns. In Study B, returned letters and postal cards from cities were fewer than from smaller urban communities even when the person was affiliated with the “Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual or Cross-dressing” addressee affiliations.