Toward an understanding of the differences in the responses of humans and other animals to density.

J. L. Freedman (see record 1979-28592-001) claimed (a) that there is little basis for believing that high density generally has harmful effects on humans and other animals and (b) that it is not necessary to postulate different mechanisms that mediate the responses of humans and of other animals to density (the continuity position). These interpretations are challenged on the basis of a more differentiated conceptualization of the density–crowding relationship and a broader view of the nature of the human response to density. The importance of distinguishing between crowding and density and between social and spatial density is stressed. The greater roles of social learning, symbolic processing, and cultural practices in the human response to density are considered. (47 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)