Effects of Population Density and Noise on Individuals - Essay Example

Effects of Population Density and Noise on Individuals Introduction Population density is a socio-economic term that refers to “the number of peoplein a defined jurisdiction, in relation to the size of the area that they occupy” (Last 2002, 941). As in urban areas live greater number of people on a specific territory than in rural areas, urban areas have higher population density. In global scales, population density also varies significantly. Thus, for example, such countries as the Netherlands and Singapore are characterized by extremely high population density, while the regions of some countries (such as Russia, Australia, and others) have very low population density (Last 2002). Overall, the population grows in the world, and the population density becomes higher, especially in urban areas and large cities. In addition to physical population density, researchers identify another type of population density known as psychological state of crowding. Therefore, while discussing the topic of population density it is important to take into account not only pure statistics on density, but also the individual’s perceptions of crowding (Jain, 1987). Physical population density may cause negative effects on human behavior associated with intrusion to their territory, abuse of their personal space and/or breaking of their privacy. This paper aims to provide a more detailed analysis on how the concepts of territoriality, privacy, and personal space have become increasingly important as populations become denser. Also, this paper aims to examine the concept of noise and how it affects individuals. The concepts of territoriality, privacy, and personal space Privacy Privacy is an integral need of any individual, as it is “right to be left alone” (Ogden 2008, 20). With the development of Information Technologies and globalisation, the concept of privacy has been extended significantly covering thus the issues of private communication, surveillance, corporate monitoring, etc. Practically all people expect privacy in their lives as this is one of the fundamental human rights declared in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Ogden 2008). However, despite such a strong legal buttress, privacy as the human right has many different threats, varying from political and technological to social changes. One of such threats is increased population density (Ogden 2008). Territoriality Territoriality initially was an important political and geographical term. Nowadays, it is widely adopted in environmental psychology and implies a concept whereas an individual organism or a group of organisms attempts to control a specified territory (Bortman et al., 2003). In other words, it is the territory or area, which is usually bound and controlled by some fence or other marker. Usually, this territory is controlled for the defense purposes and for reducing the risk of invasion of the same species (Bortman et al., 2003). Personal space According to the definition published in the most recent version of the Oxford Dictionary of Psychology, personal space is the “area round a persons or an animals body into which other people or conspecifics may not normally intrude without provoking a negative reaction” (Colman 2015, n.p.). In other words, applicable to human beings, it is the distance at which an individual feels comfortable himself, the distance which he doesn’t want anybody else to break without permission (verbal or non-verbal). However, in crowded situations, such as sexually intimate interactions, travelling in public transport or contact sports, personal space may not need such a negative reaction (Colman 2015, n.p.). The concepts of territoriality, privacy, and personal space and population density In the light of increasing population density, many people can talk about “crowding” or “overcrowding” effect, which causes discomfort and negative responses among many individuals. The experiments also indicate that conditions of overcrowding result in elicit feelings of discomfort and various adverse reactions (Griffit & Veitch, 1971). Thus, for example, Jain (1987) has carried out a study investigating the effect of crowding (effect of population density) and scarce resources on personal space. The study has shown that respondents demonstrated greater feeling of crowding when the population density was high and the amount of resources was scarce. Altogether, resources and physical density influenced their personal space (Jain, 1987). Thus, it is obvious that personal space as a human perception is influenced by a combination of two factors: population density and scarce of resources. However, population density by itself is more likely to cause negative reactions or psychological discomfort. High population density imposes a threat to both privacy and territoriality as it makes people feel overcrowded and less protected (Ogden, 2008). Nowadays, high population density increasingly influences on individuals’ perception of territoriality and privacy. People living in large cities 20 years ago may argue that nowadays the city is overcrowded, and this fact undoubtedly make them feel discomfort. In order to minimise the effect of this discomfort and negative reactions, people prefer to spend time in less populated areas or the areas close to nature, such as parks, gardens, and other more isolated recreational zones. These “recreational” zones are effective methods to cope with modern challenges associated with increased population density as they are more isolated and less populated (of course it depends on the location and time of visit). Contact with nature will more likely make an individual feel comfortable and secured. Space and minimum level of crowds will help individuals to maintain its personal space, defend territoriality and protect privacy rights. Noise and its effect on individuals Noise as well as population density is one of the environmental variables that gained crucial importance during the recent years. In simple words, noise can be defined as unwanted sound that works as an environmental stressor. Transport, people, industrial facilities, workplace technology, construction – all are common sources of noise. Noise has a distinctive negative effect on human beings and their physical health as it leads to increased cognitive errors, higher stress levels and irritation, disturbances in sleep cycles, reduced well-being and health (Benfield, 2014). While the negative effect of noise on individual is obvious, it is worth to mention that noise impact depends not solely on the nature of noise but also on the situational context, individual noise sensitivity and sound characteristics (Benfield, 2014). With the increased urbanisation and increased density population the number of noises and their sources have increased dramatically, posing thus increased risks on individuals’ health and well-being. Therefore, in order to reduce exposure to noise in the living environment and in the workplace there were developed many different strategies and ideas. Some of these strategies are examined below. Strategies that can be used to reduce noise pollution In order to reduce noise in the workplace there can be applied different strategies. Some of these strategies are outlined below and should be thoroughly examined in terms of its appropriateness to working environment. In order to reduce noise in the workplace, it is possible to concentrate on purchasing low-noise machinery and tools and maintain all the equipment regularly. If there is some noise source, it is necessary to isolate this source in enclosure or an insulated office (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 2014). Based on an individual problem there can be used various engineering solutions that will help management to solve the problem of noise pollution. In order to reduce noise at home or in living environment, individuals can take several simple steps. If there is noise outside, such as people walking on the street, traffic, construction noise or some event, it is necessary to hang heavy curtains on the windows (Wagner, n.d.). It is important to ensure that curtains are not only heavy but also long enough to close the gap underneath. Thus, curtains will absorb the noise coming outside and will serve as extra insulating air pocket (Wagner, n.d.). However, in case if the noise comes from within the building (from neighbours) it is helpful to hang thick things on the wall such as thick rugs or carpets. Carpet also can be placed on the floor in order to block noise coming through the floor (Wagner, n.d.). Conclusion This paper provides an overview of how higher population density and noise pollution affect individuals. As the research shows, increased population density can have physical and psychological character. These two types of density are closely interrelated and may cause various negative reactions among individuals. High population density by itself is more likely to cause negative reactions or psychological discomfort and pose a threat to personal space, privacy and territoriality perceptions. As the high population density increases globally, the negative overall effect also increases. In order to minimise this effect people living in urban areas tend to spend more leisure time in natural environments, such as parks, gardens, etc. In addition to population density, noise pollution also has negative impact on individual’s well-being and health. However, there exist some effective strategies that could help significantly reduce this negative impact at work and at home. References: Benfield, J. A., Nurse, G. A., Jakubowski, R., Gibson, A. W., Taff, B. D., Newman, P., & Bell, P. A. (2014). Testing noise in the field: A brief measure of individual noise sensitivity. Environment and Behavior, 46(3), 353-372. Bortman, M., Brimblecombe, P. and Cunningham A (Eds.) (2003), Territoriality, Environmental Encyclopedia,Detroit: Gale, 3rd ed vol 2., p. 1386. Colman, A. (2015). Personal space. In A Dictionary of Psychology. : Oxford University Press. Retrieved 25 Jun. 2015 Griffit, W., & Veitch, R. (1971). Hot and crowded: Influence of population density and temperature on interpersonal affective behavior. Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology, 17(1), 92-98. Jain, U (1987). "Effects of population density and resources on the feeling of crowding and personal space". The Journal of social psychology (0022-4545), 127, p. 331. Last, J. (2002)"Population Density." Encyclopedia of Public Health. Ed. Lester Breslow. Vol. 3. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, p. 941. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 25 June 2015. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, (2014). NIOSH - Engineering Noise Control - Workplace Safety and Health Topic. [online] Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/noisecontrol/ [Accessed 25 Jun. 2015]. Ogden, R. (2008). Privacy. In Lisa M. Given (Ed.), The Sage Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods. (pp. 681-682). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. Wagner, J. (2015). Reducing Noise at Home. [online] Available at: http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/15617/1/Reducing-Noise-at-Home.html [Accessed 25 Jun. 2015]. Read More