Environmenal Psych
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- Date Submitted: 08/08/2010 01:22 PM
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Environmental Psychology Paper
Environmental stressors can have an acute effect on a person’s psychological state. There have been recent studies conducted regarding environmental stressors and aggression. This paper will focus on two specific environmental stressors which have been known to encourage aggressive behavior within penitentiaries. The two environmental stressors are crowding and noise. Studies show that these two environmental stressors within prisons promote aggressive behavior. The results of studies conducted by individuals within the field of environmental psychology are critical to local, state, and federal governments in aiding them to understand the psychological impact of prison overcrowding.
The article reviewed, from the John Howard Society of Alberta, went into immense detail regarding the effects of overcrowding in correctional facilities in both Canada and the United States. The article focused on the negative impacts of the environmental stressors of overcrowding and noise and the individual impact they have on aggression and antisocial behavior among inmates.
Spatial density and social density have been used to define crowding. Spatial density refers to the amount of space available to an individual such as a cell block size. The perception is unpleasant. Social density refers to the number of individuals occupying a specific amount of space such as a housing unit. Density is a physical concept while crowding is a subjective experience. The subjective perception of spatial constraint can have an aggression enhancing effect on individuals. The effects of crowding vary with social context. In the prison setting, crowded conditions can be chronic; people prone to anti social behavior are gathered. The absence of personal control, and idleness and boredom can be prevalent (Hopkins 1996). When overcrowding exists, there tends to be a competition for space and resources as there is less to go around....
Environmental stressors can have an acute effect on a person’s psychological state. There have been recent studies conducted regarding environmental stressors and aggression. This paper will focus on two specific environmental stressors which have been known to encourage aggressive behavior within penitentiaries. The two environmental stressors are crowding and noise. Studies show that these two environmental stressors within prisons promote aggressive behavior. The results of studies conducted by individuals within the field of environmental psychology are critical to local, state, and federal governments in aiding them to understand the psychological impact of prison overcrowding.
The article reviewed, from the John Howard Society of Alberta, went into immense detail regarding the effects of overcrowding in correctional facilities in both Canada and the United States. The article focused on the negative impacts of the environmental stressors of overcrowding and noise and the individual impact they have on aggression and antisocial behavior among inmates.
Spatial density and social density have been used to define crowding. Spatial density refers to the amount of space available to an individual such as a cell block size. The perception is unpleasant. Social density refers to the number of individuals occupying a specific amount of space such as a housing unit. Density is a physical concept while crowding is a subjective experience. The subjective perception of spatial constraint can have an aggression enhancing effect on individuals. The effects of crowding vary with social context. In the prison setting, crowded conditions can be chronic; people prone to anti social behavior are gathered. The absence of personal control, and idleness and boredom can be prevalent (Hopkins 1996). When overcrowding exists, there tends to be a competition for space and resources as there is less to go around....