The development of the mood-inhibiting effects of crowding during adolescence

Prior research on the effects of crowding on human behavior has concentrated on aggression and negative affect. The present study centered on the possible inhibiting effects of crowding on the development of positive mood states. Males (n = 72) and females (n = 72) representing early, middle, and late adolescence were examined under conditions of high and low spatial density. Subjects were provided with positive mood-inducing stimuli or neutral stimuli during density conditions. Crowding produced neither positive nor negative moods on groups beyond young adolescence. Effectiveness of positive mood producing stimuli was inhibited for late adolescent males and females.