Spatial displacement among pedestrians: a cross-cultural replication

An observational study of pedestrians in a shopping mall in a mid-western U.S. city was replicated in shopping malls in London. The avoidance movements of 2692 shoppers were recorded as they approached other shoppers. The relationships between these movements and the shoppers' gender, age, race, group size, and other characteristics were examined. Results of both studies indicated that men were likely to be displaced by women, smaller groups by larger ones, and nonhandicapped persons by handicapped ones. The results differed, however, with respect to race, with black persons tending to displace white individuals in the Midwest regardless of group size, while lone white pedestrians tended to displace lone black pedestrians in London. In London larger groups tended to displace smaller ones regardless of race. Hypotheses regarding spatial displacement were discussed. The need for more cross-situational and cross-cultural research in social psychology was clear.