PERCEIVED OVERCROWDING AND IT’S EFFECT ON EMOTIONAL

REGULATION AMONG HOSTELERS AND DAY SCHOLARS

A Dissertation

Submitted for the Fulfillment of the

Requirement for the Award of the Degree of

MASTER OF ARTS

(In Psychology)

Supervisor: Submitted by:

Dr. Rubi Singh Prerana Sheoran
(Assistant Professor) Roll no. 2341855
M.A. IV SEMESTER

Department of Psychology
Banasthali Vidyapith
Rajasthan-304022(India)
2023-2025
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the work contained in the dissertation entitled “PERCEIVED

OVERCROWDING AND ITS EFFECT ON EMOTIONAL REGULATION AMONG

HOSTLERS AND DAY SCHOLARS” by Ms. Prerana Sheoran, submitted for the

award of the degree of M.A. (Final) in Psychology, is her bonafide research work

carried out under my supervision. I recommend this dissertation for submission to

Banasthali Vidyapith.

Dr. Rubi Singh

Assistant Professor

Department of Psychology

BANASTHALI VIDYAPITH
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Ms. Prerana Sheoran has satisfactorily worked under Dr. Rubi

Singh for the research project entitled “PERCEIVED OVERCROWDING AND ITS

EFFECT ON EMOTIONAL REGULATION AMONG HOSTLERS AND DAY

SCHOLARS”. This work is candidate’s own and has not been submitted previously.

Dr. Anu Raj Singh

Head of the Department

Department of Psychology

BANASTHALI VIDYAPITH

DECLARATION
I hereby declare that the work presented in the dissertation entitled “PERCEIVED

OVERCROWDING AND ITS EFFECT ON EMOTIONAL REGULATION AMONG

HOSTLERS AND DAY SCHOLARS” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the

award of degree of Master’s in Psychology, submitted to the Department of

Psychology, Banasthali Vidyapith, is an authentic record of my own work, carried

out during the semester under the guidance of Dr. Rubi Singh. The work reported in

this dissertation has not been submitted by me for the award of any other degree or

diploma. Due references have been provided for all supporting literature and

resources.

PRERANA SHEORAN

HEMPY23025

2341855

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The successful completion of this dissertation has been possible due to the invaluable

support, guidance, and encouragement of many individuals to whom I am deeply

grateful. This journey has been a learning experience that has enhanced my

understanding of the subject both theoretically and practically. First and foremost, I

would like to express my sincere gratitude to my dissertation supervisor, Dr. Rubi

Singh, for her continuous support, insightful feedback, and encouragement

throughout this research. Her guidance, from the initial stage of conceptualizing the

study to its final completion, has been instrumental in shaping this work.

I am also thankful to Dr. Anu Raj Singh, Head of Department of Psychology, for

providing me with this opportunity to undertake research in such a relevant and

meaningful area. I extend my appreciation to all the faculty members of the

Department of the Psychology, Banasthali Vidyapith, for their academic support

and motivation. Furthermore, I am immensely grateful to the participants of this

study, whose willingness to contribute made this research possible. Their time and

responses have been made this research possible. Their time and responses have been

invaluable in shaping the findings of this dissertation.

Lastly, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to Banasthali Vidyapith for

providing the necessary infrastructure and resources to conduct my research

smoothly. This dissertation is a product of collective efforts, and i am truly thankful to

everyone who played a part in this journey.

CONTENTS
CHAPTERS:

1. INTRODUCTION

2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE

3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

RATIONALE

OBJECTIVES

HYPOTHESES

METHOD

SAMPLE

VARIABLES

PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS

4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

5. CONCLUSION

6. LIMITATIONS

SUGGESTIONS

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

REFERENCES

APPENDIX

List of Tables

 Table 1 : Correlation Between Perceived Overcrowding and Emotional

Regulation.

 Table 2 : Correlation Between Perceived Overcrowding and Emotional

Regulation in Hostelers.
 Table 3 : Correlation Between Perceived Overcrowding and Emotional

Regulation in Day-Scholars.

 Table 4 : Independent Samples t-Test for Perceived Overcrowding and Emotional

Regulation Scores.
 CHAPTER-1

INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Role of Socialization in Personality Development.

Human personality is shaped by their life experiences. Starting from birth , when the

child is born the family provides a safe and protective environment ,making sure the

child's basic needs are met . In the early development of the child the interactions are

limited mainly to parents and close family members . However, as the child grows up

he /she begins to interact more others , such as their relatives neighbour and peers.

This process of increasing the interaction is known as socialization , when a person

develops skill that helps then become an active and effective member of the society .

Additionally , a person’s surrounding , such as their home , community and school

influence their lifestyle , attitudes , emotions and personality . Social structures such

as family,education systems and cultural traditions plays a significant role in shaping

how people think , behave ,and interact with others.Therefore, social structure plays a

vital role in the development of personality and behavior .

1.1.1 The Boarding System:Origin ans Impact.

The boarding (hostel) system was developed by Roman Catholics and Anglicans for

their missionary aims in the 20th . The logic was to help students utilize teachers

when needed . Hostelers enjoy their lives studying and engaging in sports

properly . Living in hostels students develop independence and confidence. It

also exposes them to healthy competition , which can improve their academic

performance . However, hostel life comes with challenges , such as

homesickness, ragging ,and poor food quality, which can effect students mental

well-being. The perception of overcrowding may further add to these stressors,

leading to difficulties in emotional regulation. When students feel cramped or

lack privacy, they might struggle with frustration , anxiety or irritability. Day

scholars, on the other hand, live with their parents and do not experience problems
like as poor food, ragging in the dormitory, or homesickness. However, they may still

experience these problems in different ways. A crowded home, stressful commute ,

packed classrooms , and overwhelming social interactions can all contribute to

emotional dysregulation. Psychologists uses the concept of adjustment to

describe the process through which individuals react to the pressures and

demands of their social environment , which can be either internal or external.

The ability to adjust to changing circumstances plays a crucial role in an

individual’s psychological well-being , and people with better adjustment skills

tend to lead more fulfilling lives. In the context of residential care , research has

shown that living environments , such as boarding schools, can have significant

impacts on personality development, emotional regulation, and social behavior.

Boarding school experiences , especially during adolescence, have been linked

to emotional disorders. For instance, Bronfenbrenner (2007) observed that

students in boarding schools are at high risk of developing unhealthy behaviors

compared to their day-scholars counterparts. Studies indicate that residential

conditions can influence a child's personality, with boarding school students

exhibiting a greater likelihood of personality disorders. One study found that

49% of boarding students experienced social impairment and mood disorders.

Despite some efforts by boarding school administrations to make environment

more effective , the long-term effects on students emotional health have been

hard to eliminate.

1.1.2 Personality Development and Adjustment in Hostelers vs.

Day- Schlars.

Researchers from 1994 highlighted that boarding school students often face

emotional suppression, which can later manifest as negative behaviors such as

restlessness, egocentricity , antagonism, and feelings of inadequacy. In terms of

social adjustment , boarders tend to show lower levels of sociability compared

to day-scholars. Additionally, boarders exhibit less personality integration , with

significant differences observed in major personality dimensions. Day-scholars ,

on the other hand , tend to be healthier both physically and emotionally, with a

stronger sense of self and a more positive self concept. Boarding school students

tends to score less on ego identity and self-esteem. Homesickness a common

issue among boarders ,is viewed as part of the process of establishing place

identity , and it can contribute to emotional maladjustment and poor academic

performance.

1.1.3 College Students and Adjustment Issues.

Adjustment contains a broad range of behaviors and reactions to both external

and internal demands. The living environment plays a role in shaping emotional

intelligence and adjustment. Through the complex psychological process of

adjustment, people try to change their ideas, feelings and behaviors to fit the

need of their immediate surroundings. For students, specially those moving from

home to a new , frequently foreign university dorm environment, this process is

extremely important. For many first- year students , the move signifies a

significant shift in their lives, and they frequently feel more stressed because

they are leaving behind the conveniences of home and their established social

networks (Hasan & Jawahir, 2015). As students negotiate a new academic

culture, and build social networks, and manage their health away from home ,

they must also adjust emotionally , academically, and socially. During this time

of adjustment , first - year students in particular confront considerable

difficulties.
According to research, many students experience homesickness and a sense of

disconnection from their traditional support networks when they transition to

hostel living, which can lead to emotional and psychological pressures (Sharma,

2012). For female students, who could experience additional emotional and

social demands , the adjustment process might be more challenging. For

example , social integration is essential to students’ success and well-being , but

making new friends in a strange setting can be intimidating (Bibi, Wang, &

Ghaffari, 2018). Adjustment issues show up in number of important areas.

Adapting to the increasing workload, varying teaching philosophies, and more

independence that come with higher education is known as academic adjustment

(Gul & Ganai, 2015). Since students must learn to control their emotions

without the immediate assistance of their family and close friends, emotional

stability is another crucial component (Baker & Siryk, 1989). For students ,

particularly those who may have issues with self-confidence or cultural

differences , social integration , the capacity to establish and sustain

relationships within a new community - is another major obstacle (Hasan &

Jawahir, 2015). Last but not the least , health adjustment - which includes taking

care of one’s physical and mental health becomes extremely important as

students adjust to a new schedule and possible stressors related to living in a

dorm.

The overcrowding of a space is one of the potential causes of stress. Psychologists

that specialize in environmental psychology make a distinction between the physical

measurement of density and the psychological sensation of being crowded. The

psychological sensation of not having enough room available, even when there is

adequate space available physically, is referred to as crowding. This is distinct from

density, which is just the number of individuals that are present in a certain location.

Paulus (1980) came to the conclusion that although high density, which is defined as a

large number of individuals per unit of space, is often required for crowding, it does

not necessarily result in the unpleasant experiences that are associated with crowding.

On the other hand, if we are on a beach that is completely empty and someone else

comes into view, we could get a sense of being crowded, even if the traffic density is

not particularly high. There is a psychological phenomena known as crowding. The

experience of being crowded can result in tension, which in turn can sometimes lead

to acts of violence, hostility, and criminal activity. In his study from 1966, Schmitt

discovered that the rate of mental disorders increased in proportion to the density of

the resident population. Crowding, on the other hand, does not always result in any

unfavorable results. There are a number of additional elements that might have a role,

including the social environment and expectations. The findings of research

investigations indicate that performance declines as the density of the system grows.

As a result of the lack of space and the mental strain that it produces, hostelers

frequently live in cramped environments, which can lead them to feel anxious. It is

possible that the stress caused by overcrowding may be less severe for them if they

are in a social setting that is supportive and pleasant. However, this is contingent upon

the social environment that they are surrounded by.

In the field of environmental psychology, Stokols has made an important distinction

between crowding and density. The term density refers to the actual number of people

present in a given space and can be measured objectively. Whereas , crowding is a

psychological term characterized by negative perceptions (when people feel that there

is not enough space or resources, leading to stress and discomfort. This feeling just
does not depend on the number of people but on how these individuals perceives the

situation. When someone perceives that the environment is too crowded for their

comfort , it can trigger negative emotions and a sense of being overwhelmed.

Most research on crowding focuses on how people perceive crowded spaces in tourist

destinations. However, a very few studies have been done in the context of how

feeling crowded affects emotions, the attractiveness of the environment and whether

people would want to return to that place. Since crowding can lead to stress,

frustration and discomfort, it is important to explore how these negative emotions

develop in crowded places. Therefore it is essential to explore these factors in more

detail to better understand the effects of crowding on humans.

1.2 CROWDING

According to Baron and Richardson (2004), crowding is a personal state of mind that

can be experienced as a result of events that involve a high population density. When

someone has this emotion, they believe that other people are closer to them than they

actually are. (Stenstrom, 2010). There is a distinction between them Density is a

reality that can be measured, but crowding is an experience that is subjective and is

based on how individuals feel when they are in that place. A lot of the time, people

get the two terms mixed up, thinking that they imply the same thing while in reality,

they are not the same thing. According to research, people might have both good and

negative emotions when they are in a crowded environment. Freedman (1975)

believes that crowding will amplifies usual reaction that an individual has to any

scenario.Crowding typically occurs because the population grows continually

(Lawrence and Andrews, 2004). Living in the crowded areas may affect how we
feel and interacts with others. The most important issue is that how we perceive

this crowding as crucial and how it affects us. The environment directly affects

the personal relationships and relation with others. The way people experience

living in the high density environments is complicated as it depends on many

factors such as, physical space,social connections, and mental well-being.

The physical and psychological impacts of student overcrowding in university hotels

were investigated by Adegoke and Awolowo (2014). They concentrated on how the

students' physical and mental health condition was significantly impacted by the

experience of overcrowding, loss of privacy, the number of persons assigned to the

room, and the total number of inhabitants. It was also demonstrated that exposure to

disease was influenced by the style of accommodation. Lepore, Evans, Irvine, and

Palsane (1991) investigated the relationship between short-term social stress and long-

term environmental stress, such as crowding, and how these factors affect mental

health. Even after taking income levels into account, their study in India found that

persons in crowded households had psychiatric symptoms when they experienced

social stress. Overcrowding also exacerbated the effects of social stress, according to

a similar study conducted in the United States. This suggests that chronic

environmental stressors may exacerbate the effects of acute social stressors,

underscoring the significance of considering contextual factors in the stress and health

process (Tripathi and Vidya, 2002; Pandey, 1999).

1.2.1 Overcrowding in University Hostels and It’s Effects.

Female hostels are overcrowded, since most respondents agree that only four students

were assigned to their rooms, but they end up sharing their rooms, closets, and

lavatories with eight or more other residents. Most respondents admitted that their

rooms are too small and that this has cause them to frequently become ill, lose focus,
become unhappy, arrive late for classes, and have trouble reading in their quarters. It

demonstrated that female students' physical and mental health are significantly

impacted by overcrowding. Overcrowding in the dorms has been shown to have an

adverse effect on students' academic performance as well as their physical and mental

health, and the conditions of the dorms are not suitable for promoting proper learning

and development. Students' emotional and social health can be negatively impacted

by overcrowding in their residence halls, which can also result in issues like conflict,

arguments, stress, frustration, fear, insecurity, delinquency, and antisocial behavior. If

left unchecked, this can also contribute to subpar academic performance. According

to Solari and Mare (2008), students' physical health, behavior issues, academic

performance, and general well-being are all impacted by overcrowding. Female

undergraduates living on campus thought their rooms were too small. Rising

aspirations for higher education without corresponding facilities to meet the rising

demand may be the reason for the high level of overcrowding found in this study. The

university's current facilities were designed to house a small number of students. As a

result, there are now more students in a space than it was designed to

accommodate.Additionally, study showed that all female resident halls lack adequate

safety amenities and equipment.It is not unusual to see students sitting on the bare

floor to listen to lectures, with their notebooks resting on their laps. What is even

more worrisome are the overcrowded conditions in their residence halls, which were

originally intended to house two students each, but are now officially assigned to nine

students in a few hallways, with six pupils in most of them. In addition, there is a

possibility that the people who are occupying these rooms may be able to fit up to six

squatters in a single room, which would bring the total number of inhabitants to

twelve or even fifteen in some circumstances.At least 10 rooms on each level are
occupied by around 120 to 150 students, and they compete with one another for the

usage of four urinal bowls, bath showers, and water closet systems that are designed

to accommodate twenty students each. Personal space and privacy become a luxury,

and basic sanitary amenities become a problem as a consequence of the overcrowding

and congestion that occurs in the room. This makes it difficult to breathe air that

ought to be free and available. The question that has to be asked is, "Are there not any

potential effects that these experiences that are a result of overcrowding could have on

the health of the students, in addition to their interpersonal and psychological

functioning?"

Over the course of the past three decades, social scientists have contributed a

significant amount of thinking to the issue of crowding. Regarding the possible

influence that it might have on human life, a significant amount of research has been

conducted. A number of researchers, including Baron, Mandel, Adam, and Griffen

(1976), Saegert (1978), and Stokols, Walter, and Resnick (1978), have investigated

the impact that crowding has on the performance of students when they are doing

tasks. Rodin (1976) conducted research on the activity levels of children as well as the

congestion in households. With regard to stress and the characteristics that are related

with it, the contributions that Cohen (1977) and Marsella et al. (1971) made were

crucial. Freedman, Levy, Bucham, and Price (1972) conducted research on the effects

of crowding on interpersonal relationships. Hutt and Vaizey (1966) documented the

effects of group crowding on children's social behavior. Both of these studies were

conducted in contrast to one another. As a result of his research conducted in Hong

Kong, Mitchell (1971) came to the realization that although overcrowding does result

in certain problems with child control and outward manifestations of psychological

stress (complaining, sadness, and worry), it does not lead to more profound and
fundamental levels of emotional tension and animosity. According to Kalin and Perlin

(1967), the stressors and annoyances brought on by crowding do induce some mild

mental illness, primarily psychoneurotic symptoms with a significant somatization

component, but they are unrelated to the severe mental illnesses that necessitate

hospitalization.According to Gove, Hughes, and Galle (1979), living in close quarters

was linked to poor physical health since it was significantly linked to obtaining little

sleep, contracting infectious diseases, having to undertake tasks when unable to get

enough sleep, and not receiving medical attention when ill.

The researchers employed two distinct methods to quantify crowding: the first method

utilized people's perceptions of how busy a location is, while the second method used

people's perceptions of how packed a place actually is. There was a correlation

between the sensation of being crowded and perceived density, constraints,

distractions, and stress. On the other hand, the environmental rating item is rich in

perceived density and overall negative affect. In addition to this, it was sensitive to the

variations in the physical density. It is common for people to interpret being in close

proximity to a stranger as an uncomfortable feeling, which is why they wish to avoid

being in such a situation. In circumstances where it is impossible to avoid crowding,

individuals could make an effort to divert their attention away from the other

individuals there. According to the findings of a research conducted by Szpak,

Loetscher, Churches, Thomas, Spence, Michael, and Nicholls (2015), persons who

experienced physiological discomfort in crowded environments tended to move away

from strangers. On the other hand, individuals who did not experience any pain had

the opposite behavior.Personal control, according to Schmidt (1983), is a significant

factor in determining how individuals respond to their surrounding physical

environment. An investigation into the ways in which social density and perceptions
of control might alleviate emotions of stress and irritation in crowded environments

was conducted by Fleming, Baum, and Weiss (1987). They discovered that those who

lived in neighborhoods with a high density of commercial enterprises reported greater

levels of stress, felt more crowded, and had less control over their social interactions

than those who lived in regions with a lower density of commercial establishments.

According to the findings of these research, perceived control and psychological

impacts play a significant role in moderating the stress that is associated with high-

density situations.

1.2.2 EXPERIENTIAL CROWDING and PSYCHOLOGICAL

HEALTH: A MODEL

Figure 1: Experiential Crowding and Psychological Health: A Dynamic Model

Several studies have been conducted on the topic of crowding and mental health, and

the findings indicate that there is a direct correlation between being exposed to

crowding and experiencing psychological issues among individuals. It has already

been shown via research that the psychological make-up of individuals is influenced

by the presence of crowded situations. It has been demonstrated that being subjected

to significant crowding can have a detrimental effect on one's mental health. The

model that is presented in Figure 1 is an attempt to provide an explanation for the

development of psychological disorders as a later reaction to living in crowded

conditions and having the experience of crowding. An oppressive and negative

atmosphere (mood) is created as a result of a cramped surroundings and the

impression of being crowded on an abstract level, according to this theory, which

indicates that outward crowding makes this atmosphere possible. This feeling of being

overcrowded may lead to a sense of insecurity, which can subsequently result in

psychological discomfort such as anxiety and depression, as well as anger and

hostility in some circumstances. In other cases, this can even escalate to physical

violence. This may result in an undesirable environment and reduce the individual's

passion to carry out the activities that they are responsible for on a regular basis.

1.3 Perception of Crowding (C)

Perceived crowding refers to an individual’s subjective assessment of how dense and

Congested an environment feels. Unlike the objective density, which is a physical

measure of number of individual’s in a given space, perceived crowding involves a

personal judgement that number of people or social interaction exceeds a comfortable

level according to them (Altman, 1975; Desor, 1972; Schmidt & Keating, 1979;
Stokols, 1972). They said that crowding is not just about physical space but also

about how the individuals react to it and interpret it.

In the context of hostelers and day - scholars , perceived overcrowding can

significantly impact their emotions and they can have problem in regulating them .

Most of the students living in hostels have shared spaces with three or more than three

roommates , where their privacy is limited and may experience a heightened sense of

crowding due to continuous social interactions and lack of personal space. In contrast

, day - scholars , who return home to a more controlled environment, may perceive

less less crowding even if their academic spaces are equally dense. Understanding this

perception is crucial in evaluating how hostelers and day- scholars regulate their

emotions in response to overcrowded environments. Truancy has expanded widely in

these hostel environments. Over the years, numerous theft cases have been

documented.The majority of students have also stated that their living conditions have

caused them to lose some of their academic focus. Numerous health issues could also

result from the noise and traffic. These people are prone to frequent physical contact,

which makes it easy for infections to spread among them.As a result of the lack of

suitable bed spaces, many students miss out on several introductory lectures in their

various courses of study because they spend a lot of time looking for alternate housing

options at the start of each session. Squatting has become more common as a result of

this. where a bed or mattress is shared by two or more people. This is harmful to these

hostel buildings as well as to their health because illnesses can spread quickly. Many

of the facilities are not being used because there are more students living there than

these structures can accommodate. There will undoubtedly be lines of students

waiting to use the restrooms, which leads to a variety of instances of tardiness to

lectures.
Crowding perception is a psychological experience that is different from the concept

of density ,which simply refers to the number of people in a given space. Density can

be calculated objectively but perceived overcrowding is based on how a person feels

about the space around them. According to Stokols , perceived crowding happens

when the person feels that the space they have is too limited , which can be influenced

by physical surroundings, social interactions, and personal factors. He then further

classified it into two primary dimensions: physical crowdedness perception and social

crowdedness perception. Physical crowding perception happens when a person feels

restricted due to things like building layouts or the arrangements of the objects. Social

crowdedness perception on the other-hand, refers to number of people in a space and

how often they interact and have social engagement.

Personal space plays a crucial role in how an individual experiences a crowded

environment, as knowledge of spatial restraints can lead to stress. The study of

proxemics- which deals with the interpersonal space and spatial distances in different

situations- and personal space have been said to be the possible explanation for

stressful effects of crowding. In some studies it is shown that reasonable personal

distance is close to “arms length without touching distance” , and violation of this in a

crowd built environment can cause discomfort, and the perception of crowing and

spatial behavior may arise negative effects on psychological responses.

Perceived crowding refers to the feeling of being overcrowded in a certain place and it

happens when people obstruct others views , the space feels smaller due to more

arrivals, or when other related negative feelings or discomfort arises. People feels
crowded when the demand for environmental and social resources exceeds the

capacity of a space to accommodate them .

Crowding with humans Stokols (1972, 1979; see aslo Freedman 1975, Streufert,

Nogami & Streufert, 1980) identified several psychological and behavioral responses

to crowding in human groups :

 Violation of expectancies regarding social behavior.

People may feel discomfort when expected social norms and behaviors are

disrupted.

 Anger , tendency for aggression increase.

Crowding can lead to frustration, anger, and a higher tendency for aggressive

behavior.

 Fear and Flight - tendencies emerge.

Some individuals may feel anxious and develop an urge to escape crowded

spaces.

 Persistence of behavior decreases.

The ability to stay focused or maintain efforts in a task may decline.

 Trials to improve the coordination with others.

People may try to adapt by adjusting their behavior and improving social

coordination with others.

When environment becomes crowded, resources may become scarce, personal

activities may be disrupted , and excessive social interactions may cause distraction

and discomfort. Additionally violation of personal spaces can increase emotional

arousal and stress. When individual struggle to achieve their goals due to
overcrowding, they may perceive their environment as a threat, triggering emotional

and cognitive responses. The severity of their reactions depends on how they assess

the threat, their ability to adapt , and the availability of alternative solutions. If they

feel that they have lost control over their environment and cannot find alternative

ways to achieve their goals, stress levels increase. This is relevant to the students in

hostel settings where there is limited space, privacy and constant social interactions

may impact their ability to focus ,relax ,and regulate emotions effectively.

1.3.1 RESIDENTIAL CROWDING

Research on residential crowding has examined three main settings : Family homes,

Dormitories(both in college and non- college environments), and prisons. Each of

these settings experiences differently due to variations in social structure and

available coping mechanisms. In family dwellings, individuals are generally expected

to function cooperatively, and they have flexibility to seek alternative spaces outside

the home when overcrowding occurs. However, in dormitories, where students share

limited space and have fewer alternative places to retreat, perceived overcrowding

may have stronger emotional effects. Furthermore, research suggests that younger

individuals are more adversely affected by crowding than adults.

1.3.2 Emotional Response and Arousal Theory

Emotions in psychology are understood as reactions to both external and internal

factors in a person’s environment. An emotional response is the way someone feels

when they process the information from their surroundings, which is shaped by their

social context and personal characteristics. Arousal theory is an influential theory in

environmental psychology, which explores how the environment influences human

emotions and behavior. It concentrates on knowing the connection between the

individuals perceived emotional changes and the environmental stimuli. This arousal

theory proposes that environment interacts with human emotions , and the stimuli

present in the environment can instinctively evoke emotional fluctuations in the

individuals. This theory includes three key aspects : environmental stimuli, emotional

appraisal, as well as arousal levels. These elements help explains how people

emotionally react to their surroundings and how their environment affects their

psychological state. To generate an emotional response , the environment must have

certain stimulating factors. In this study, social crowding was examined as one such

factor, specifically looking at how perception of being in a crowded small urban

micro public space might lead to negative emotions.

1.3.3 Stimulus -Organism-Response (SOR) Model

This study is based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model, developed by,

Mehrabian and Russell. According to this model, environmental factors (stimuli)

influence a persons emotions (organism), which then shape their behavior(response).

previous research has mostly focused on how people react to crowded spaces , such as

their satisfaction. However not much attention was paid to how social crowding

affects emotions and how these emotions impact the decision . in this study perception

of social crowding is seen as an environmental stimulus, while positive and negative

emotions represent personal feelings.

1.4 EMOTIONAL REGULATION

Emotions are often seen as powerful forces that strongly influence how people

behave. However , research suggests that individuals have more control over their
emotions that it may seem. People can manage different aspects of their emotions,

such as where they focus their attention, how they interpret emotional experiences ,

and even how their body reacts to emotions. This ability to control emotions is known

as emotional regulation. It plays an important role in various aspects of life, including

mental, physical health, relationships, and job performance. Understanding how

people regulate their emotions can help improve well - being in many areas.

Modern research highlights the important role emotions plays in helping people adapt

to their environments. Students show that emotion improve how we take in

information, help us detect threats , prepare us for action , aid in decision making ,

strengthen our memory of important events, and guide social interactions. However ,

emotions are not always helpful. Sometimes that can lead to poor decisions or actions,

like getting angry at someone in a way that make a situation worse or feeling so

excited that we make an unwise decision. Emotions becomes unhelpful when that are

inappropriate, happen at the wrong time, or are too intense. In such cases, people try

to regulate their emotions. Since emotions affect how well we function in daily life,

researchers are working to understand the best ways to manage them for better well-

being.

Emotion regulation refers to how people manage their emotions in everyday life.

Since people constantly encounter situations that could trigger emotions- such as

physical discomfort , hearing gossip , or listening to music- they naturally regulate

their emotions most of the time. Sometimes, emotion regulation is more noticeable,

like when someone looks away from something scary, writes about a painful

experience to cope with it, or hits a pillow instead of acting on their anger. These

actions help prevent emotions from taking over. Emotion regulation involves

controlling, changing, or managing emotions in different ways, whether by increasing

,maintaining, or reducing them. While some forms of regulation require conscious

effort, others happen automatically.

Additionally , it is not always about suppressing emotions ; sometimes , it works

alongside emotional processes in a healthy way. People may regulate emotions to

change what they feel, when they feel it ,or how they express it. However , not all

attempts at regulation are successful- sometimes , trying too hard to control the

emotions can backfire , leading to the very feelings a person wants to avoid. If

someone struggles to regulate emotions overtime , it can seriously affect their mental

health and contribute to psychological disorders.

Emotion regulation affects different aspects of emotions, including behavior, physical

responses, thoughts, and feelings. Instead of focusing on specific emotions like anger

or joy, emotion regulation works on broader emotional dimensions, such as whether

emotions feel positive or negative (valence), how intense they are (arousal), and

whether they lead to approaching or avoiding something. Emotion regulation is

closely related to other processes like mood regulation, coping with stress , and

managing overall emotional states. Since emotions are deeply related to core feelings

of being energized or drained , good or bad , regulating them helps in adjusting these

fundamental experiences. Given that emotions, moods, and stress are closely linked ,

it is helpful to view emotion regulation in a broad way , as it helps us understand the

basic principles behind how people manage their emotions.

Emotion regulation serves different purposes, depending on the situation and

individuals needs. One key function is to enhance pleasure and reduce distress ,

helping people return to a comfortable emotional state. This type of regulation often

happens automatically and can be impulsive , as emotions quickly influence behavior.

However , not all emotion regulation is about feeling good immediately. In social

situations, people may need to control their emotions to appear calm and composed ,

even if they feel otherwise. Similarly , certain goals may require people to maintain

emotions like fear or worry if they believe these feelings help them stay alert or

focused. Emotion regulation plays a role in personality functioning by helping

individuals stay flexible and balanced instead of being stuck in one emotional state.

Sometimes these functions can conflict - for example ,prioritizing immediate comfort

might interfere with long term goals or overall emotional stability. People likely

switch between different types of emotion regulation depending on their current

situation , personal goals, and emotional tendencies.

Feeling overcrowded can lead to a sense of disconnection from others. Levine found

that when people live in densely populated areas, they may feel like they lack

personal space, which can increase social isolation and make them less likely to help

others. Similarly research by Chu et al. suggests that overcrowding can heighten

feelings of vulnerability, aggression and loneliness.

Living in a crowded space for a long time can make it harder for people to manage

stress and emotions. When individuals feel like they have no personal space or

privacy in their main living environment , such as a hostel or home , it can negatively

affect their mental and physical health. This lack of space can lead to difficulties in

handling emotions , increasing stress levels and making daily life more challenging.

When three people share a room together instead of two , there tends to be a more

social tension, negative emotions ,and issues with personal control. This increased

sense of crowding can lead to stress in relationships , especially when two roommates

from a close bond , leaving the third person feeling excluded. The isolated roommate
often struggles more with the feelings of overcrowding and has difficulty maintaining

a sense of control over their space and interactions.

Additionally , women generally feel more crowded in all living arrangements

compared to men. This may be because women typically spend more time in their

living spaces and are more involved in their social relationship with their roommates.

As a result, they are more likely to experience emotional stress and interpersonal

conflicts due to overcrowding.

1.4.1 EMOTIONAL REGULATION AND BEHAVIORAL

DEVELOPMENT

Emotional regulation refers to the internal and external processes that help

control ,assess, and adjust emotional responses, particularly their intensity and

duration. Biologically , emotions coordinate different body systems to respond to

important events in the environment (Levenson,1988). These regulatory processes

ensure flexibility in emotions rather than rigid responses, allowing individuals to react

efficiently to changing situations while keeping their arousal levels optimal for

performance. Over time , the brain has evolved to include higher-level control over

emotional impulses, mainly through inhibitory mechanisms (Panksepp,1989).

Emotional control exists at multiple levels of the nervous system, involving both

suppression and stimulation of emotions (Dawson & Panagiotides, Gunnar, Porges).

While humans are born with basic emotions (Izard & Malatesta, 1987), emotional

regulation processes modify these emotions to enhance flexibility and improve

responses to different situations. Emotional regulation is a complex developmental

process because it involves controlling deep-rooted emotional systems using higher

psychological mechanisms. Managing emotions is a essential part of “emotional

competence” (Gordon, 1989; Saarni, 1990). As children grow, they learn to regulate

emotions externally and gradually becomes more self - sufficient in managing them.

This helps them integrate emotions into their behavior, allowing for better social

interactions. Emotional control is shaped by cultural expectations, meaning that

children are taught to regulate emotions in a way that align with societal norms.

Emotional regulation also plays a crucial role in shaping personality and social

behavior. A child’s ability to regulate emotions affects their friendships (Gottman &

Mettetal, 1986) and their attachment to parents. Poor emotional regulation can lead to

social problems, such as aggression (Dodge, 1991) or withdrawal due to shyness.

Overall , developing emotional control helps children build social competence.

Individual differences in temperament , personality, and behavioral style are also

linked to emotional regulation. Traits like mood, approach- avoidance behavior, and

responsiveness may stem from variations in how emotions are managed. For example,

research by Kagan (1987, 1989) and Fox (1989) shows that neural differences in

processing emotions influence behaviors such as shyness or fearfulness. These

emotional styles are further shaped by care-giving experiences. Emotional regulation

can influence whether a person becomes socially outgoing or withdrawn, which helps

explain why people react differently to the same emotional situations- some may feel

empowered by anger, while others may avoid or suppress it.

Emotional regulation also affects cognitive skills and academic performance.

Managing emotions is essential for attention, problem-solving , and handling tasks

that require patience and self-control (Mischel & Mischel, 1977,1983). It helps

students cope with stress , such as test anxiety , and process emotions related to

academic success or failure (Graham, 1991; Graham & Weiner, 1986). When children
face distressing situations at home or elsewhere , their ability to regulate emotions

determines whether their academic performance is affected (Hetherington, cox, 1982).

Emotional regulation is also crucial in understanding childhood mental health

disorders. Many psychological conditions involve emotional regulation difficulties,

such as anxiety and mood disorders (Achenbach & Edelbrock, 1983). Studying how

emotions typically develop helps researchers understand mental health issues.

Emotional dysregulation is influenced by the parenting style, as abusive parents show

less positive emotions and misinterpret their children’s emotional signals (Burgess &

Conger, 1981). These findings suggests that the child’s emotional development is

deeply shaped by the emotional environment at home.

So , emotional regulation plays a key role in organizing and directing behavior. It is a

lifelong process that develops through interactions with the social environment. The

ability to manage emotions effectively influences personality, social relationships,

academic success, and mental health. Understanding the factors that shape emotional

regulation can help improve emotional well -being across different stages of life.

During middle childhood , children begin to understand their own emotions, realizing

that their feelings can differ from those of others. They also learn strategies to manage

these feelings , such as using mental imagery or listening to favourite music. This

growing awareness forms the foundation of a “theory of personal emotion,” which is

an understanding of how emotions function and can be managed within oneself. This

early development is crucial because emotions play a significant role in social

interactions and self-management. Understanding and predicting one’s emotional

reactions to common situations enable children to act more confidently. Nevertheless,

it is during the adolescent years that this idea of personal feeling becomes more

consistent and logical. Individuals who are adolescents develop a self-concept that is
more intricate and integrated, which is impacted by a variety of characteristics of their

self-system. In the course of adolescence and young adulthood, this knowledge is

refined, and as a result, it becomes a part of the self. Schemas are the frameworks that

structure one's self-understanding as they mature. As a consequence of this, emotional

self-understanding is both influenced by and contributes to other components of self-

awareness that are developed during the adolescent years. People who suffered from

mild depression and believed that their feelings may shift had a general decrease in

their negative emotions throughout the day, particularly when they were confronted

with distressing circumstances.These individuals also used a strategy called cognitive

reappraisal ( changing how they think about the situation ) more often to manage their

emotions when dealing with daily upsetting events.

Emotions play a key role in motivating and guiding human behavior (Izard, 1977) and

are closely linked to satisfaction (Oliver, 1993; Westbrook, 1987). People often rely

on memories of past experiences to decide hoe satisfied they were , which then shapes

their future choices (Machleit et al., 2000). However, these memories are influenced

by the emotions felt at the time of experience, meaning that if someone was in a bad

mood , they might remember the experience more negatively (Bower, 1981; Schwarz

& Clore, 1983).

When it comes to crowding , the emotions triggered by feeling crowded can affect

how satisfied people feel with the experience (Machleit et al., 2000). Studies have

shown that crowding reduces feelings of pleasure in service settings (Hui & Bateson,

1991) and is linked to negative emotions like tension, anxiety, and nervousness (Steg

et al., 2013). For example Tseng et al. (2009) found that crowding influenced people’s

enjoyment of an experience , and feelings of enjoyment and safety affected overall

satisfaction. However , positive emotions can still increase in crowded situations

where high visitors numbers are expected , such as at popular events (Kim et al.,

2016).

Crowding can lead to frustration and irritability because people have to adjust their

pace and movements to accommodate others, which can feel restrictive and interfere

with personal goals (Machleit et al., 2000). This can cause feelings of anger , disgust ,

and contempt especially when crowding makes it difficult to engage in the activity as

planned. Disgust might arise from unpleasant conditions or misbehavior, while

contempt can emerge in competitive environments where others’ behavior feels unfair

or obstructive (Izard, 1977). Sadness can result from feeling overstimulated or failing

to meet personal goals (Machleit et al., 2000). Crowding can also increase feelings of

insecurity and fear when people feel threatened or uncomgortable (Izard, 1977;

Machleit et al., 2000).

It is possible for a child's health and happiness to suffer from a number of adverse

impacts if they are forced to live in a household that is overcrowded. It is probable

that children's academic performance may suffer if they are unable to read and study

in an environment that is peaceful and pleasurable. This makes it feasible for children

to learn more effectively. The children's sleep may be disrupted when there is a

shortage of space in the home since the varying schedules of the members of the

household might potentially interfere with their sleep. In addition to having a

detrimental effect on one's disposition and behavior, not getting enough sleep can not

only make it difficult to focus throughout the day, but it can also make it difficult to

concentrate. In addition, children who live in restricted areas have a greater likelihood

of falling unwell, which can cause them to miss school and disrupt their daily routine

(Edwards et al. 1994; Saegert and Evans 2003). This can be a significant problem for

these children. There is a possibility that this will have a detrimental effect on their
general health and wellbeing.Behavioral problems, stress, and poor social connections

are all potential outcomes that might arise as a result of a loss of privacy, according to

Evans et al. (1998). It is possible that all members of the home would experience

these outcomes. Caldwell and Bradley (1984) found that parents who reside in

households with an excessive number of children have a tendency to exhibit parenting

methods that are less receptive to their children's needs. It is possible that this may

result in a decrease in parental engagement in school-related parent-teacher groups,

monitoring of academic performance, and assistance with children's homework.

According to the results of Evans et al. (2001), children who originate from

households with a high population density are more likely to exhibit behavioral issues

in school, which may lead to problems in other social contexts. This is because

families with a high population density tend to have a higher population density.

Children who are raised in homes with a high population density may carry with them

throughout their lives the intellectual, behavioral, and physical health disadvantages

that they encountered. These disadvantages may be passed down from generation to

generation. Due to the fact that their academic performance is below average, it is

challenging for them to achieve socioeconomic advancement and to secure admittance

into higher education. It is possible for people who suffer from behavioral problems to

have trouble engaging with other people. If adolescents have had negative interactions

with their parents, instructors, and classmates throughout their teenage years, it may

be difficult for them to develop professional and personal networks as adults. This is

especially true if they have had these interactions during their teenage years. When

children experience issues with their physical health, they may find that their daily

routine is disrupted. This can cause them to fall behind their peers in term of academic

performance and, in the long run, in terms of prospects for work in the future. Last but
not least, Leventhal and Newman (2010) found that children who are raised in

households that are overcrowded are more prone than other children to undergo

situations that are akin to those of their parents. This is the case even if the children

are not the only ones who are going through this. This is one of the factors that leads

to the maintenance of socioeconomic disparity into subsequent generations.

According to the corpus of research that has been carried out up until this point (Silk,

Steinberg, & Morris, 2003), emotion regulation is an essential mechanism to

investigate for the purpose of intervention efforts in adolescent maladjustment. This is

because emotion regulation is a significant predictor of adjustment outcomes. The

control of emotions is a significant process that needs to be investigated. This stage of

development is frequently characterized by the emergence of new emotions that are

more intense (Morris, Silk, Steinberg, Myers, & Robinson, 2007), increased

emotional fluctuations (Maciejewski, van Lier, Branje, meeus, & Koot, 2015), and

maturation of the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which enables more sophisticated and

adaptive techniques for emotion regulation (McRae et al., 2012). These characteristics

also occur during this stage of development. It has also been connected to a wide

array of maladjustment consequences that are more frequent in today's culture. These

results include the inability to manage one's emotions. Psychopathology (Silk et al.,

2003), low academic achievement (Gumora & Arsenio, 2002), and poor relationship

quality (Farley & Kim-spoon, 2014) are some of the effects that might result from

this. Adolescence is a very critical time period when it comes to identifying the

mechanisms that are responsible for the development of emotion control. As a result,

this is a time period that is extremely important.In the corpus of research that has been

conducted, the idea of emotion regulation as a construct has received a considerable

amount of attention (Cole, Martin, & Dennis, 2004). This is because it is necessary for
comprehending both typical and atypical development, which is the reason why it is

so important. According to Thompson (1994), the process of emotion regulation is a

complex and dynamic process that involves the integration of cognitive procedures,

behavioral procedures, and physiological procedures. The purpose of this procedure is

to alter the experience and presentation of an emotion in a manner that is suitable for

the social and contextual situations that are present. When cognitive development

increases and a better understanding of emotions is obtained, the development of

emotion regulation during infancy and adolescence often follows a positive growth

trajectory (John & Gross, 2004; Zeman, Cassano, Perry-Parrish, & Stegall, 2006).

This helps to ensure that the development of emotion regulation is a good process.

This is the conclusion that may be drawn from research that was carried out in the

past. Although there was no visible change in cognitive reappraisal, a longitudinal

research indicated that adolescent females reported employing less suppression tactics

as they got older. This was the case even though there was no discernible change in

both areas. According to Gullone, Hughes, King, and Tonge (2010), this observation

shows that the utilization of techniques for emotion regulation becomes more

adaptable over the course of time. This discovery is comparable to the one that was

spoken about earlier. In a study that was carried out by Hardy, Baldwin, Herd, and

Kim-Spoon (2020), the researchers investigated the disparities in emotion

management that were reported by parents and teens within the same individual.

There was an increase in the degree of emotion regulation from early adolescence into

young adulthood, according to the findings of this study, which demonstrated that

there was in fact an increase. Previous research has shown that, in addition to

differences in age, there are differences between the sexes in terms of how well they

are able to manage their emotions. (Neumann, van Lier, Gratz, & Koot, 2010; Suveg
& Zeman, 2004) For example, as compared to men, girls have a more difficult time

managing their emotions and applying effective tactics less frequently. This is in

contrast to the situation in which males are more likely to do so. Recent theoretical

and empirical research have thrown light on the role that social environment,

particularly within the family, plays in promoting the development of emotional

regulation (Morris et al., 2007). It is vital to take into mind the fact that these studies

have cast light on this function.According to the findings of Hare et al. (2008),

teenagers have a more difficult time controlling their conduct when they are in

situations that are emotionally overwhelming. Several more pieces of study lend

credence to this assertion.There is a possibility that socioeconomic risk, which

appears to be a risk factor for the emotional environment of the family, may have an

impact on the development of teenagers' capacity to control their emotions throughout

their lives. A contributing factor in the development of this risk factor is the fact that

stressful events that are associated with socioeconomic risk, such as a lack of financial

resources, financial concern, and an environment that is otherwise chaotic, are less

conducive to a healthy emotional context within the family. This can be a factor that

contributes to the development of this risk factor.

 CHAPTER-2

REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Aifan Isa, A. N., & al-Mukhtar, N. N. (2024). A primary objective of this study is to

uncover the challenges that university students face when it comes to emotional

control. The sample consisted of 400 students from the morning studies program at

the University of Baghdad. There were 156 men and 244 females in the sample, and

they came from both the scientific and humanities fields. The sample was collected

during the academic year 2023-2024. An approach known as stratified random

sampling was utilized in order to pick the sample. For the purpose of accomplishing

the goals of the research, the researcher utilized the study conducted by Gratz and

Roemer (2004) and their scale, which was founded on the theory indicated earlier.

The final edition of the Emotional Regulation Difficulties Scale had a total of 36

items during its development. The following findings were acquired by the utilization

of statistical techniques such as the t-test for one and two independent samples, the

correlation coefficient of Pearson, the Z-test, Cronbach's alpha, and the statistical

package known as SPSS. With regard to gender (male versus female) and academic

field (scientific versus humanities), the university students who were included in the

sample indicated moderate levels of emotional regulation issues. This was the case for

both male and female students.

Fitriani, E., Nurasyah, R., Johannes, & Putri, R. F. (2024).This investigation seeks

to learn more about the psychological research that has been done on the emotional

regulation of students. Students who are in their teenage years are going through a

transitional time that is particularly susceptible and requires supervision in order to be

able to regulate their emotions. This period of emotional growth is a transitional

period. Emotions are a mental disease that can impose significant risks. We are going

to talk about a number of essential issues, such as the many sorts of tactics that
students often use to regulate their emotions, the contextual conditions on campus that

have an effect on how students regulate their emotions, and the impact that emotion

regulation has on students' psychological well-being and academic accomplishment.

In the context of the campus setting, students frequently experience complicated

academic, social, and emotional stress; hence, the capacity to control their emotions is

essential to the students' well-being as well as their academic achievement. The

research procedure that was utilized in this study was a qualitative descriptive

technique. The participants in this study were students who were enrolled at the Indah

Medan College of Health Sciences. On the basis of the findings of the research, it is

possible to draw the conclusion that emotional regulation in student psychology is still

very unstable. As a result, students still require guidance from a variety of parties,

particularly teachers and parents, in order to control and adjust their emotional

behavior in order to accomplish specific goals.It is intended that students would be

more regulated in their ability to manage their emotions and adapt them to good

emotional behavior in order to attain particular goals. This is because the

understanding of emotional regulation that students have in psychology is extremely

important.

Zhang, J., Qi, R., & Zhang, H. (2023).Through the utilization of psychometric tools,

an investigation on the influence of the perception of crowding on emotional

responses was carried out. According to the data, there was a substantial negative

influence of the impression of crowding on the positive emotional reactions of users.

This suggests that crowding caused users to experience a decrease in good

feelings.On the other hand, it was discovered that the impression of crowding had a

substantial positive influence on the negative emotional reactions of users. This

finding suggests that crowding was the cause of the activation of negative emotions in

users. As a result of these findings, it was shown that the feeling of congestion in tiny

urban micro public places was connected with the creation of unpleasant emotions.

Our findings are consistent with the concept that congested surroundings are

associated with the elicitation of unpleasant emotions. Furthermore, our investigations

into the activity of the brain indicate that this is connected to a decrease in the ability

to manage one's attention and an increase in the level of physiological arousal.

Generally speaking, these concepts are in agreement with past beliefs concerning the

"cognitive complexity" that is connected with crowding levels. Consequently, as a

result of this unfavorable emotional experience, people may acquire a distaste for

returning to situations of this kind in the future.

Zhang, Z., Měchurová, K., Resch, B., Amegbor, P., & Sabel, C. E. (2023).

Increases in population and housing density throughout the world have contributed to

the worsening of overcrowding in urban areas. This phenomenon has been linked to

feelings of negative emotional arousal as well as an increased likelihood of

developing mental health illnesses. The perception that one's personal space is being

violated in a crowded environment can lead to an increase in the amount of stress

experienced by individuals.Personal space in crowded places is directly tied to an

individual's awareness of spatial constraint, which may cause the individual to suffer

stress for a variety of reasons. Personal space and the idea of proxemics, which is the

study of interpersonal space and spatial distances in various settings, have been

conceived of as a possible explanation for the stressful consequences of crowding

during the course of the past half century. A number of studies have demonstrated that

a reasonable personal distance1 is relatively close to the "arm's length without

touching distance." Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that the violation of human

expectations in a crowded built environment can have an impact on comfort,

perception of crowding, and human spatial behavior, which may result in adverse

effects on psychological responses.The results of this study shown that it is feasible to

include wearable cameras, global positioning system (GPS) devices, and health

trackers in order to conduct a statistical and geographical analysis of the relationship

between overcrowding and human stress on an individual level.The number of

individuals in close proximity to one another and in personal space can be considered

a breach of the observer's comfortable space in a business location, according to the

findings of this study by the researchers. The findings of the GLMM indicate that

people's physiological stress reaction to overcrowding may be increased when they

are in close proximity to human crowds in commercial spaces and transportation

spaces, but this is not the case in green spaces and blue spaces. It is likely that the

context acts as a "buffer" to decrease the impact of congestion. This is one of the

probable explanations. Previous research has demonstrated that exposure to urban

nature can have a therapeutic effect on the stress levels of individuals.

Galvez-Pol, A., Nadal, M., & Kilner, J. M. (2021).The majority of studies that have

been conducted on people's perceptions of space have been on spatial assessment and

navigation. However, there is more to space than just navigating and evaluating it;

individuals have varied emotional experiences in different locations, which results in

emotionally charged perceptions of space. There is a lack of knowledge on the

emotional representation of space and the processes that contribute to its formation.

The goal of this research was to design a visual approach for the purpose of studying

the emotional representation of space, as well as some of the environmental

characteristics (non-natural vs natural) and human characteristics (affective mood and

interoceptive sensitivity) that regulate it. We provided the participants with blank

maps of the area in where they resided and asked them to color in areas where they

had joyful or painful memories, as well as places where they desired to travel after the

Covid-19 lockdown. In addition, participants were asked to provide their own self-

reports about their affective state and interoceptive feeling. Through the use of

techniques for the analysis of neuroimaging data, we investigated shaded pixels in

order to quantify the locations and the manner in which intense feelings are

represented in space. Based on the findings, it was discovered that joyful memories

were consistently related with sites that were similar to one another. Nevertheless, this

mapping reaction differed depending on the emotional state of the individuals as well

as their awareness of their interoceptive experiences. Participants whose emotional

state was more positive and whose interoceptive sensitivity was higher were shown to

have stronger associations with certain areas that were connected with pleasant

memories. The maps of pleasant memories, the sites that participants intended to visit

after the lockout, and the regions in which they recalled happier memories as a

function of positive emotion and interoceptive responsiveness were highly layered

with natural surroundings. According to these findings, the emotional representations

that individuals have of their surroundings are influenced not just by the naturalness

of the locations they visit, but also by their affective state and their interoceptive

sensitivity.

Hotwani, G. P., & Tripathi, S. K. (2019).Within residential and hostel

accommodations, the influence of crowding was observed, and it resulted in an

increase in the number of conflict concerns.People that were subjected to crowding

need additional space in order to cope with the situation, and they did so by

employing coping techniques such as disengagement, coalition groupings, and

territoriality. The sense of crowding was made more difficult when there was a barrier

to the achievement of the objective and there was a restricted range of options

accessible in the surroundings.

Li, H., Thrash, T., Hölscher, C., & Schinazi, V. R. (2019). Wayfinding and

locomotor behaviors are impacted by both social and physical contexts, particularly in

multi-level indoor settings such as shopping malls. This is especially true in retail

establishments. It has been demonstrated via research that environmental elements,

such as the perception of overcrowding, have the ability to influence the mobility

tactics and spatial decision-making of humans. A study was conducted to investigate

the process of wayfinding in a virtual shopping mall with many levels. The

participants were needed to identify a store in an effective manner. Although the study

indicated that crowdedness did not have a significant impact on the techniques used

for wayfinding or the first route selections, it did have an effect on the behaviors

associated with locomotion. To be more specific, those who were under situations of

excessive crowdedness had a tendency to avoid places that were congested by going

closer to the limits of the environment. Additionally, the structural arrangement of the

surroundings was a significant factor in deciding the tactics that were utilized for

wayfinding procedures. The fact that participants who began their journey on the

second floor were more likely to resort to the floor-based navigation technique than

those who began their journey on the third floor provides evidence that the

architecture of the environment has an impact on the patterns of movement. These

discoveries shed light on the intricate relationship that exists between the physical
environment and the social density in the process of determining human navigational

habits. It is possible that the perception of congestion in residential or academic

contexts might have a similar effect on the control of emotions and movement

patterns in the context of day scholars and students who live in hostels. It is possible

that the desire to avoid congested locations in wayfinding is similar to the

psychological impacts of perceived congestion in daily life, which might influence

emotional reactions and adaptive behaviors. Therefore, gaining a knowledge of the

ways in which environmental elements impact wayfinding and locomotion can give

useful insights into the more general consequences of overcrowding on the regulation

of emotions among individuals.

Rollings, K. A., & Evans, G. W. (2019). In spite of the fact that chronic crowding in

housing has a negative impact on psychological well-being, there is a lack of

knowledge regarding the ways in which design characteristics contribute to these

effects, particularly among children. In the first part of this study, which was a cross-

sectional investigation, the researchers looked at the correlations between household

interior density and children's (M = 9 years old) perceptions of house and bedroom

congestion. Second, studies were conducted to determine whether certain

characteristics of interior design, such as the arrangement of residential floor plans as

measured by space syntax (depth and permeability), as well as the height, volume, and

window area of bedrooms, can mitigate the adverse effects of perceived crowding on

various multimethodological indices of child development. These indices include

psychological distress, learned helplessness, and physiological stress. Interior density

was found to have a substantial association with perceived house and bedroom

congestion, even after taking into account factors such as the kind of residence, the
amount of clutter, income, gender, and age. Among the individuals who reported

greater levels of perceived crowding, the findings of the regression analysis revealed

that the height of the ceiling in the bedroom was linked with a reduction in the

negative effects of house, but not bedroom, perceived crowding on blood pressure,

epinephrine, norepinephrine, and allostatic load.

Jacob, A. M., & Kaushik, A. (2017). In order to address the conflict between the

academic performance of day scholars and the health state of hostellers, the current

study was carried out with the intention of finding a solution. A study was carried out

by Upadhyaya with the purpose of determining the differences in adjustment that exist

between day scholars and hostel students. The findings of the study indicated that

there were significant differences between day scholars and hostel students in terms of

their home, health, social, emotional, and general adjustment. There is a greater

potential for adjustment among day scholars compared to dormitory pupils. Linden

did a comparative research between students who were staying in hostels and day

scholars in order to determine the impact that staying in hostels had on the academic

achievement of the students. The findings of the study indicated that the hostel was

found to have a positive impact on the academic achievement of the students.

Upadhyaya, C. (2016).The goal of the research was to determine whether or not there

are any changes in the way that Day Scholars and Hostel students adjust to their new

environments. The kids in the study ranged in age from 14 to 15 years old.Hailing

from the Meerut District in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Using a random sample

approach, 600 kids from the school were chosen participants. Three hundred Day

Scholars, with 150 males and 150 females, and three hundred hostel students, with
150 males and 150 females each, make up the sample. They ranged in age from 14 to

15 years old. The information was gathered with the assistance of Bell's adjustment

inventory at the time. The data that were obtained were subjected to statistical

analysis using the Mean, Standard Deviation, and T test. The findings showed that

Day Scholars and Hostel students had substantial differences in terms of their home

lives, health, social and emotional development, and general adjustment.The

researchers discovered that Day Scholars and Hostel students have considerable

differences in terms of their home lives, health, social lives, emotional lives, and

general adjustment. When compared to students living in hostels, day scholars have a

greater potential for adjustment.

Adegoke, A. A. (2014). As the findings of this study have demonstrated,

overcrowding has a substantial impact on the mental health and physical well-being of

people who live in hostels. Poor sleep, loss of weight, lethargy, lack of privacy,

restlessness, and concern are among the symptoms that are most frequently

mentioned, and it has been discovered that these symptoms have a detrimental impact

on the psychological functioning of the individuals who responded to the survey. One

of the studies that has been cited the most frequently regarding crowding and

psychological health is the one that was conducted by Gove, Hughes, and Galle in

1979. According to the findings of this extensive cross-sectional investigation, there is

a significant connection between crowded conditions (person-per-room) and poor

mental health. Gove et al. (1979) came to the conclusion that crowding causes a

variety of negative outcomes, including physical withdrawal, psychological

withdrawal, a lack of general planning behavior, and a general feeling of being

"washed out." Additionally, they found that the experience of crowding is strongly
related to poor mental health as well as poor social relationships within the home. The

findings of Edwards et al., 1994, which revealed that both objective and subjective

crowding lead to inadequacies in psychological well-being, lend credence to the

findings on the impact of overcrowding on psychological health. According to the

findings of a prior study conducted by Kalin and Perlin (1976), tensions and irritation

brought on by overcrowding do, in fact, bring about a certain level of mild mental

disease, primarily psychoneurotic symptoms. Moreover, Gove et al. (1979) had

demonstrated the connection between the feeling of crowding and the accompanying

poor psychological health of the individuals involved. It was determined that the

inability to receive adequate relaxation and sleep, as well as the absence of care from

other people while they were unwell, were all factors. There is a close connection

between the social implications of overcrowding and the psychological effects of it.

The presence of overcrowding is a significant factor that leads to psychological

frustrations, which in turn have an impact on the behavioral reactions and the capacity

of individuals to deal with the situation.The findings of this study allow for the

conclusion that overcrowding has considerable detrimental impacts on the physical

and psychological health of hostel inhabitants. This conclusion can be drawn from the

findings of the study. The tenants' health is also strongly impacted by the sort of room

they occupy and whether or not they are female.

Epstein, Y.M. (2010). In this particular study, the emphasis is placed on the role that

group orientation plays in the explanation of the results of the crowding study. When

calculating the effects of crowding, it is necessary to take into account not only the

challenges that are faced by the group as a whole, but also the efforts that individuals

make to address the problems that arise from crowding. For the purpose of this
investigation, the concept of perceived control serves as an important person-level

concept. There are two distinct types of research that have been conducted on the

topic of crowding: laboratory and residential. Residential studies are further

subdivided into the categories of doing research on families, dormitories, and

prisons.In order for the inhabitants to achieve their goals, they are required to

maintain control of their surroundings in any circumstance, regardless of whether or

not them are congested. As an illustration, the majority of people take the time to

clean their desks before beginning a significant writing project. Through this action,

individuals are able to create the workspace that is necessary for them to achieve their

goal. When a person becomes a part of their surroundings, they are required to strike a

balance between their own requirements for resources, activities, the degree of

interpersonal connection they have, and their spatial position, and the requirements of

others. With an increase in the number of people in a particular area, the task of

organizing and regulating one's surroundings requires a greater amount of attention

than would otherwise be available for the accomplishment of one's objectives.To add

insult to injury, every single person has a unique collection of goals that they want to

accomplish in a particular setting. The number of goals that could potentially be in

conflict with one another increases as the number of occupants increases. This is

based on the assumption that at any given moment, the goals of one individual might

be incompatible with the goals of another individual. The very least that this does is

create a problem with coordination. In addition to this, it may render it impossible to

accomplish certain personal goals.It is possible that resources will become limited in a

crowded environment; the activities of one person may interfere with those of

another; the inevitable interpersonal interactions may divert an individual or lead to

group maintenance behaviors that hinder the individual from achieving personal
objectives; and violations of spatial norms may heighten arousal and discomfort.It is

possible for a person to experience feelings of threat if one or more of these factors

prevent them from accomplishing their objectives. When confronted with perceived

dangers, the individual makes an effort to manage the situation by employing coping

mechanisms that are in line with the cultural norms of their community.A number of

different things are involved in the process of coping. The first factor is the

individual's evaluation of the degree to which the high-density environment poses a

threat to the achievement of their goals. Within the context of the high-density

environment, the second objective structure of the group is implemented. There is a

possibility that the group that is living in a high density environment will have a goal

structure that is either cooperative or competitive.The third factor is the individual's

own resources for dealing with the problems that are brought about by the high

density environment.The person may have the impression that they have no control

over their surroundings if the goals that could be thwarted are significant to them, if

the threat is considered to be serious, if they are unable to convince other residents to

act in ways that will assist them in achieving their goals, and if there is no other way

to get there that does not involve coordinated actions with other people.If they are

unable to withdraw from this environment and find another one in which they can

accomplish their objectives, they will experience stress as a consequence of the

apparent lack of control that they have over the situation.

In a study program at Rutgers University, students who were living in rooms that

were designed for two people were compared to students who were living in rooms

that were quadrupled in conventional double-loaded corridor dormitory rooms that

were intended for two people. In comparison to students who were doubled, those

who were tripled reported experiencing higher levels of stress and

disappointment.Each of these three students experienced a blockage in their goals as a

direct result of the lack of resources available to them. The inability to effectively

study in dorm rooms was one of the many challenges that students faced. Due to this,

grades went through the roof.

An additional study that was conducted in 1976 by Baron, Mandel, Adams, and

Griffen investigated the effects that tripled living situations had on the people who

lived in college dormitories. In accordance with the aforementioned assertion, these

researchers found evidence that suggests a significant number of students experienced

a diminished sense of control over their surroundings.the findings of Baum and Valins

(1977), which demonstrate how having to deal with interactions with other people that

are not desired can have a stressful effect on one's mind and body. The problem is that

there is insufficient coordination of actions with other people.People are obligated to

engage in conversation with other individuals, even if they do not wish to do so. It is

possible that the problem could be solved if the members of the group were to discuss

the difficulties they are experiencing, examine the norms that are currently in place,

and determine whether or not they would like to replace them with a different set of

norms that are better suited to the circumstances.

Upadhyay, B. K., Nagar, D., & Upadhyay, I. B. K. (2005). The current study aimed

to accomplish two broad objectives: the first was to investigate the impact of

subjective and objective crowding on evaluations of classrooms, hostels, and health

facilities; the second objective of this study was to investigate the perceived

improvement suggested by students in order to enhance the efficiency of the Ashram

School System. Both of these objectives were intended to be accomplished. This

research was carried out with the participation of 105 pupils from Ashram Schools
who were members of the ST group and who were located in tribal areas of Madhya

Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The findings of this research indicate that, in comparison to

their peers who lived in semi-urban areas, respondents from rural areas had a greater

amount of experience with crowding on all four measures relating to space,

connections, and control. Further, these respondents from rural areas were subjected

to a higher level of objective crowding in their hostels and apartments inside their

hostels. It is possible to see the impact that the perception of congestion has on a

number of different outcome factors. The findings of the content analysis indicate that

the respondents, who came from semiurban as well as rural regions, were

experiencing difficulties as a consequence of the inadequate amenities that were

required for the smooth operation of day-to-day operations. The overall findings

indicate that crowding has a detrimental effect on the evaluation, performance, and

health of the students in the classroom.Physiological arousal, a sense of crampedness,

and retreat were all observed in both groups of responders, which is an interesting

finding that was noted in the journal kept by the investigator. The adverse effects on

rural respondents were detected during informal interactions with the pupils that took

place within the facilities of the Ashram school for a period of one week. A high level

of hostile behavior, a greater number of unfavorable relationships, and a low level of

collaboration among themselves were all displayed by the student.According to the

findings of this study, it appears that the students have reported a high degree of

crowding, both on an absolute level, which refers to a rise in high density, and on a

subjective level, which refers to the perception of the phenomenon.

Frey, B. S., & Jegen, R. (2002). It is conceivable, according to the Motivation

Crowding Effect, for an external intervention in the form of monetary incentives or

penalties to not only reduce but also raise intrinsic motivation in a range of different

scenarios that may be defined. When this occurs, the motivation crowding effect is

said to have occurred. Economists have been discussing the theoretical possibility of

motive crowding from the beginning of time. This has been the most important topic

of discourse among economists. In addition, the outcomes of this study indicate that

the influence is equally significant from an empirical point of view. Numerous

research that offer empirical evidence in favor of the occurrence of crowding-out and

crowding-in phenomena provide support for the existence of these phenomena. These

studies provide evidence that crowding-out and crowding-in occur. In the course of

the investigation, a number of different kinds of evidence were employed. These

included circumstantial evidence, laboratory tests carried out by psychologists and

economists, and field research carried out by econometric studies. All of the pieces of

evidence that have been shown apply to a wide variety of various sectors of society

and the economy. These pieces of evidence have been obtained for a very wide

variety of countries and time periods throughout history. Therefore, crowding effects

are a phenomenon that is significant to empirical study and can, under some

conditions, even overwhelm the ordinary relative price influence. This is because

crowding effects are impacted by a large number of people.

Evans, G. W., & Lepore, S. J. (1992). Behavioral constraint, decreased control, and

overload/arousal are the three basic processes that have been proposed as explanations

for the negative consequences that crowding has on human health and behavior.

According to the theory, high density is responsible for activating one or more of

these more fundamental systems. For this reason, the activity of the mechanism (or

mechanisms) acts as a mediator, which is responsible for accounting for the negative

consequences of extreme density. Sadly, academics that study crowding have

frequently conducted tests that are only partially complete on these hypothetical

models. Frequent testing of the opposing models have involved crossing the

hypothetical, explanatory variable (for example, control) that represents the

intervening processes with density in an orthogonal direction. The interaction between

the explanatory variable (for example, control) and density has been the primary focus

of the experimental testing of the model. In this article, we demonstrate that an

interaction analysis is not a direct test of the various theories of crowding since it

identifies the explanatory mechanism as a moderator. Our findings are presented here.

Alternately, other studies have investigated the direct impacts of density on the

explanatory variable (for example, arousal), but they have neglected to additionally

study the intervening effects of the mediating processes that exist between density and

some indicator of health or well-being. Using the moderator-mediator variable

distinction, we demonstrate how previous crowding studies, as well as more

complicated crowding models, may be understood more clearly and evaluated more

completely. More specifically, we explain how this differentiation can be utilized.

Rudel, T. K. (1985) .For the purpose of this study, data collected from interviews

with people living in the metropolitan region of New York is utilized to investigate

the connection between crowding and the implementation of tactics that are designed

to avoid crowds. According to the findings of the research, there are significant

distinctions between maintenance activities and recreational activities in terms of the

frequency with which participants encounter congestion and their intention to avoid it.

The frequency with which individuals are exposed to crowded situations may be

predicted based on the stage in the life cycle that they are now in as well as the

population density of the location where they inhabit. There is a strong correlation

between an individual's plan to avoid crowds and their previous experience with
crowding, particularly in the context of leisure activities. This article provides a brief

examination of the implications that these discoveries have for research and policy.

Vine, I. (1982). This article discusses the existing body of research on personal space,

which displays conclusions that are contradictory depending on the criteria and

techniques of measurement that are utilized. Personal space preferences are

recommended to be viewed as moderating reactions to the spatial closeness of others,

according to a dynamic model that takes into consideration both task-related demands

for physical space and privacy needs, in addition to concerns over social norms and

attributions. These redefinition of personal space preferences are offered. It has been

stated that if coping mechanisms are unsuccessful, the perception of an unlawful

invasion of one's personal space is likely to result in the development of stress-related

health problems. Therefore, crowding is likely to be stressful in many natural

circumstances where personal space is regularly invaded, particularly when

attributions of purposeful obstructing are made. This is especially true when those

attributions are made. Further theoretical advancements in this field need to be based

on a more precise specification of the processes that jointly determine an agent's

personal space claims and associated reactions to spatial invasion. These processes

include social relationships, situational variables, and subjective motivational,

perceptual, and evaluative factors.

Gormley, F. P., & Aiello, J. R. (1982). Based on the findings of research, it has been

claimed that tripled rooms may be defined by a coalition consisting of two roommates

and a third roommate who is left out (also known as the isolate) and who is more

susceptible to issues linked to crowding and control. The current research aimed to
accomplish two goals: (1) to establish the existence of two-person coalitions in tripled

rooms; and (2) to further investigate the mediating impacts of interpersonal

connections on crowding stress and other associated issues. A series of questionnaires

pertaining to residential experiences were filled out by thirty intact groups of

housemates from doubled rooms (n = 60) and thirty-nine intact groups of roommates

from tripled rooms (n = 117). The findings suggested that the stress caused by

crowding that was previously associated with tripled residential settings may be

mediated by interpersonal relationships. Residents of tripled residential settings who

had negative interpersonal relationships with their roommates reported being more

bothered by crowding, both at the beginning and the end of the semester, compared to

residents of doubled residential settings who expressed negativity towards their

roommate. Not only did the number of persons with whom a resident shared a room

have an effect on the level of satisfaction with privacy, but the nature of the resident's

interpersonal interactions with his or her roommate(s) also had a role in determining

the level of satisfaction with private. Furthermore, the data indicate that control-

related issues may be a direct consequence of the occupants' inability to form healthy

interpersonal interactions with one another. Additionally, the findings demonstrated

that only a tiny fraction of tripled rooms were defined by coalitions consisting of two

people who were in a reciprocal relationship.

Stockdale, J. E. (1978). This goes over the factors that determine crowding as well as

its impacts. An investigation of crowding seeks to answer two questions: first, what

factors contribute to congestion, and second, what the effects of crowding are. After

conducting an investigation into the challenges that are linked with the density model,

it was discovered that a limited definition of crowding in terms of density is

insufficient. It has been acknowledged by both the input and output approaches to

crowding that crowding is a subjective condition that is influenced by a number of

different antecedent circumstances. The individual employs a variety of coping

strategies, such as perceptual and cognitive filtering, modification of personal space,

and marking of territory, in order to bring the amount and rate of sensory input back

to levels that are more tolerable. Different methods are utilized by the person (or

group) in order to limit the influence of possible interference. The interference

approach places an emphasis on individual cognitive strategies as well as group-based

solutions in order to accomplish this goal. These methods acknowledge that the stress

caused by crowding is dependent not just on interpersonal dynamics, but also on

individual and societal expectations. Furthermore, it is evident that the fast expanding

body of research and theoretical studies on crowding constitutes an increasingly solid

foundation for comprehending the factors that determine crowding and the impacts

that it has. The extent to which this analysis of crowding contributes to future

theoretical development and empirical study in crowding will serve as the gauge for

determining whether or not it is successful. When it comes to defining how

individuals react to what they perceive to be a crowded situation, emotional regulation

plays a significant influence. When people are unable to effectively handle stress in

crowded environments, it can result in feelings of anger, anxiety, and violence. On the

other hand, those who are able to effectively cope with stressful situations may suffer

fewer unpleasant emotional responses. This is consistent with the more general idea

that the stress caused by crowding is dependent not only on the amount of physical

space available but also on individual variations in the ability to regulate emotions.
Loo, C. (1976, September). Based on the findings of the univariate analysis, it was

determined that the environment has a substantial impact on the behavior of children.

A variety of behavioral types are displayed by children while they are attempting to

deal with spatial settings.They become more hostile and interact less constructively

when there is a restricted amount of space; they become alert watchers who stand

rather than run, stroll, or sit; they utilize a variety of tactics to flee and avoid

situations; and their social play or toy-play activities are more unstable.When it comes

to the way that people react to crowding, there appear to be major gender disparities,

with boys often exhibiting more severe impacts than girls.Attempts to modify or cope

with a stressful crowded state were considered to be represented by avoidance

behaviors. These behaviors included increasing the amount of interpersonal space

between individuals, removing external stimuli from view, and adopting techniques to

either build symbolic distance or leave the setting.When compared to the findings for

individual dependent variables, the analysis of the impacts of density on behavior

styles has the potential to give a more comprehensive and complex understanding of

the consequences of crowding.

Worchel, S., & Teddie, C. (1976). It has been proposed that the sensation of

crowding is a two-step process: (a) the individual becomes aroused by violations of

personal space, and (b) the individual subsequently identifies the reason of this

arousal to other persons in the surroundings. A breach of personal space, rather than

mere density, was hypothesized to be the spatial variable related with crowding.

Furthermore, it was hypothesized that the sense of crowding may be reduced if the

individual was diverted from making the attribution that his or her arousal is caused

by other people. The interaction distance (near and distant) and density (high and low)
were both altered independently in a research that included 315 male students. This

was done in order to evaluate the predictions that were made. The walls of the

experimental room were covered with images, which served as attribution inhibitors,

for half of the circumstances. In the other half of the conditions, the walls were free of

any decoration. The students were given two tasks to do, and then they were

questioned about their experiences with crowding. Interaction distance was shown to

have a stronger correlation with crowding than density, and the only settings in which

images were able to alleviate the effects of crowding were those in which close

interaction was present. According to the findings, the attribution analysis of

crowding is correct.

Baum, A., Harpin, R. E., & Valins, S. (1975). According to the findings of this

study, persons who arrange themselves into social groups may experience less of a

sense of confinement in crowded environments. Individuals who are a part of a group

are said to have a greater sense of control over their social interactions, which enables

them to better manage the stress or feelings of being overwhelmed that are associated

with being in a crowded environment. This suggests that students who create close-

knit social groups in a dorm environment may feel less affected by the stresses of a

busy environment because they have the social and emotional support of their fellow

group members. This is because they are surrounded by people who are similar to

them.In addition, it explains why people have less anxiety and a sense of being

confined when they are able to form groups, despite the fact that it is more

challenging to do so in environments that are congested. Your research suggests that

this may mean that students who are able to successfully build social relationships

may be better able to deal with the stress of living in close quarters, despite the fact
that students who are living in overcrowded dorms may have difficulty forming social

bonds. Belonging to a social network that provides support and stability in an

otherwise chaotic and stressful environment not only helps with the control of

emotions but also provides a sense of stability and comfort.

Freedman, J. L. (1975).It is argued that crowding is neither beneficial nor

detrimental, but rather that it amplifies the impacts of pre-existing social

circumstances, which are either beneficial or detrimental in and of themselves (that is,

urban issues are not produced by crowding). Issues pertaining to crowding and crime,

personal space and isolation, crowding, violence, and sex, as well as the density-

intensity theory of crowding, are discussed, and new approaches to coping with the

difficulties that are experienced in high-density urban areas are offered.

Saegert, S. (1973). Two possible causes of overcrowding in a hostel are an excessive

number of students sharing a room and a lack of personal space for each individual. It

is possible that this will have an effect on the manner in which students behave and

how well they manage their feelings. There are more social interactions to manage, it

is more difficult to predict how other people will behave, and the scenario is more

complex and unpredictable when there are more individuals in a small area. As a

result, it is more difficult to keep composure and concentrate when there are more

people in the area.The increased mental pressure that students who live in

overcrowded dorms experience can make it harder for them to concentrate, could

cause them to feel overburdened by the continual interactions, and could make it

difficult for them to maintain emotional control.It is difficult for people to move about

in congested spaces, and activities that require a lot of room become more difficult.
The inability to move around in a comfortable manner can lead to feelings of stress.

When people are physically close to one another, it is more difficult to effectively

maintain personal boundaries. In situations where there is a lack of space, it is

impossible to resist engaging in social interactions, even if you would wish to. The

process of leaving a situation becomes more challenging when you are uncomfortable

with someone or when you desire to be alone. When a person feels limited, they are

more likely to experience stress and irritation. When there are a lot of people around,

it can be difficult to give your whole attention and keep your composure. When there

is a lot of noise and action going on around you, it is tough to keep your thoughts and

feelings under control. The feeling of difficulty increases while dealing with complex

problems, which in turn makes easy, everyday jobs more appealing.When students in

a hostel are in a room that is noisy and congested, it may be difficult for them to study

or think well, which can lead to emotional aggravation and poor emotional regulation.

Stokols, D., Rall, M., Pinner, B., & Schopler, J. (1973). The purpose of this

experiment was to provide some systematic information about the ways in which

density interacts with social and personal factors to influence a person's behavior as

well as his perceptions about the environment. Specifically, the experiment was

designed to provide information about how density interacts with certain factors. The

fundamental difference between the terms "density" and "crowding" is the foundation

upon which our research methodology is built (Stokols, 1972a).

The term "crowding" refers to an experiential state in which the individuals who are

exposed to the restrictive aspects of limited space perceive them. Density, on the other

hand, refers to a physical condition that involves the limitation of space. In light of

this distinction, the most important research task that needs to be accomplished is to
determine the circumstances that make an individual more sensitive to the potential

limitations of limited space for themselves. According to Stokols (1972b), the

proposition that crowding is experienced as a syndrome of stress that is caused by the

disparity between one's supply of space and demand for space is a theory that has

been put forward. An investigation into the phenomenon of human crowding is

developed, which proposes the ways in which environmental and personal

characteristics work together to amplify an individual's need for space.According to

the hypothesis, the inhabitants of a particular area will have a tendency to experience

a sense of crowdedness as the amount of available space in that area decreases.

Subjects should be able to perceive the environment as confining and exhibit

behavioral symptoms of stress as a result of the experience of crowding. These

symptoms include hostility toward other people, reported anxiety, and dissatisfaction

with the situation. Second, whenever there is a restriction on the amount of space

available, the subjects should experience a greater sense of crowdedness and show a

higher level of stress when they are competing against one another as opposed to

when they are working together as a group. In accordance with this analysis, any

social circumstance that necessitates the individual's close coordination with other

individuals or his surveillance of them (for example, a task that is difficult or

competitive) ought to increase the individual's demand for space. Similarly, if a

person possesses characteristics that hinder their capacity to interact with others in a

smooth manner in situations where there is a limited amount of space, then they are

more likely to experience feelings of restriction and crowding. Additionally, the

smaller room was perceived to be more uncomfortable, hotter, and stuffier than the

larger room. Only the subjects' self-ratings on the anxiety items reflected a significant

main effect for room size. This is despite the fact that there were clear differences
between the two physical environments and the levels of perceived crowding within

each of them. However, there were few parallel differences that occurred with regard

to other manifestations of stress. We investigated the circumstances that give rise to

the sensation of being crowded, which is an individual's perception of being restricted

in space. The direct, physical limitations of space, as well as certain social and

personal factors, are hypothesized to be the causes of crowding. (In the experiment,

these were equivalent to the size of the room, the tasks that were assigned, and the

gender of S.) A total of 512 male and female college students were divided into

groups of eight of the same gender in order to test three hypotheses.The conclusion

that can be drawn from this is that the influence of spatial variables on affect and

behavior is determined by the interaction of personal, social, and physical factors.

Valins, S., & Baum, A. (1973). It is the purpose of this essay to discuss some of the

social and psychological consequences that can arise from living in social contexts

that are overcrowded. On the campus of the State University of New York at Stony

Brook, corridor-design dorms require a total of 34 students to share the lounge and

washroom facilities, whereas suite-design dorms require a total of four or six students

to share similar amenities. The data that will be provided indicates that the interior

architecture of the dorms that are planned with corridors results in occupants being

forced to interact with an excessive number of people, frequently at inconvenient

times or with people they do not like. Residents experience feelings of stress as a

result of this socially saturated environment, which may even prompt them to adopt

behaviors that serve to reduce their stress levels.The purpose of this study is to

evaluate the ways in which social overload for dorms and architectural design

contribute to increased psychological stress. It highlights how dormitories with

corridor designs, in which 34 students share common areas, lead to a socially

burdened atmosphere that pushes residents to participate in frequent and frequently

unwanted social encounters. This is demonstrated by the fact that the atmosphere is

socially burdened. There is a parallel between this situation and the concept of

perceived overcrowding, which describes a situation in which the subjective

experience of having an excessive number of individuals in a limited location can

heighten feelings of tension and discomfort. According to the findings of the study,

these meetings typically take place with peers who are not popular or at embarrassing

moments, which leads to a loss of control over one's social environment.This loss of

personal space and autonomy is linked with the psychological element of perceived

congestion, which is characterized by people experiencing feelings of being

overwhelmed and emotionally strained as a result of having little control over their

environment. In addition, the research indicates that individuals who reside in

surroundings that are socially overburdened may begin engaging in actions that

relieve stress, which is an indication that coping techniques are utilized in order to

deal with emotional pain. Students who are overcrowded may have a more difficult

time successfully regulating their emotions, which may lead to increased emotional

reactivity, irritation, or disengagement on their part. There is a direct connection

between this and the management of emotions. Consequently, the findings of the

study provide credence to the assertion that living in a high-density environment leads

to emotional dysregulation as a consequence of the stress, the lack of control, and the

requirement for coping methods among residents.

Desor, J. A. (1972). In this experiment, thirty male and thirty female undergraduate

students and ten male graduate students were given scaled-down rooms and human
figures. They were asked to place as many people as possible in the rooms without

overcrowding them. The room area remained the same, but the architectural features

that varied interpersonal perception (partitions, disparity of linear dimensions, number

of doors) varied. The findings provide credence to the hypothesis that "being

crowded" is the criterion on which crowding is measured, rather than simply a lack of

space. Evidence from secondary sources demonstrates that the definition of crowding

shifts depending on the activity level. There was no evidence of any reproducible

gender disparities. It illustrates how the level of social stimulation that an individual

receives in a specific environment can have an effect on their impression of crowding,

which is not solely influenced by the physical density of the environment or the

degree of space that is available. As opposed to concentrating on the objective

measurement of space, the concept of perceived overcrowding places more of an

emphasis on the psychological impression of being crowded. People are more likely

to feel emotional overload when they are subjected to excessive social contacts, such

as continual interaction with others in a shared dormitory situation. This is true even if

the physical area is not objectively constrained.

Esser, A. H. (1972). The fact that this is the case suggests that the sensation of being

crowded can be produced when the pictures that are produced by external stimuli and

those that are produced by the brain itself come into conflict with the images that are

associated with the dominant mood. Our sociocultural progress has led to an increase

in the number of instances in which external conditions and spontaneous states of

mind become incompatible with the animal care that humans have for their own well-

being. One school of thought contends that the sensation of being suffocated is the

outcome of an arousal state in the brain. This condition is brought about by a discord
between the pictures of the individual's predominant mood and the images that are

generated by the activity of the neocortex or the observed surroundings. The author

investigates the reasons why our brain does not always present us with sensations that

are suited to a certain situation. This is because mood is dependent on the functioning

status of the central nervous system (CNS). Additionally, the following topics are

discussed: the subjective experience of crowding and its consequences; the

physiological basis for the subjective experience of crowding; the primary factors that

contribute to subjective crowding; crowding in society as a whole; and the measures

that can be taken to counteract the experience of crowding.

Baxter, J. C., & Deanovich, B. F. (1970). There has been a significant amount of

research conducted in the fields of environmental and social psychology, specifically

in regard to the psychological and emotional repercussions of overcrowding. The

potential for overcrowding to exacerbate anxiety and emotional dysregulation is one

of the most important aspects of the situation. The research in question investigates

the effects of improper crowding on anxiety in an experimental dyadic context. The

findings of this study provide insights that are particularly pertinent to the

understanding of emotional regulation in crowded situations, such as hostels and

shared housing. In this review, the findings of the study are expanded upon, and the

significance of those findings are discussed in relation to the larger context of

emotional regulation and experienced overcrowding. analyzed the effects of improper

crowding on anxiety in a dyadic experimental environment and found that it was a

significant factor. Forty-eight female undergraduate students were given eight

different test settings for the Make A Picture Story activity. Each of these settings

included two doll figures and a brief narrative that described the circumstance. The
students evaluated the degree of dysphoria that they thought the female figure would

experience in each of the different settings. There was either an uncomfortably packed

sitting configuration or a correctly spaced seating layout that was used for the Ss. The

results show that crowded Ss projected greater concern in their judgments of the

figures than did the uncrowded Ss, with the effects becoming more prominent over

the latter half of the experimental period. This was the case throughout the whole

duration of the intervention.

 CHAPTER-3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 RATIONALE

Perceived overcrowding is the subjective and negative feeling of being restrained due

to excessive external environmental stimuli. It refers to the psychological sate of

people occurring in spatial settings. So it is a emotional response to how crowded a

space feels, which can vary from person to person. It is all about how the person

perceives or feels about the space is available physically. Perceived crowding is

caused by people blocking others views , space being narrowed by new arrivals and

other associated negative effects or emotions.

Although, both perceived overcrowding and emotional regulation have been studied

extensively in recent years, much of the researches focuses on each variables

separately , without examining the connection between them. Specifically there is a

lack of studies that explore how perceived overcrowding might directly influence

emotional regulation. This connection is important because overcrowding can lead to

the feeling of stress, anxiety, and frustration , which can interfere with an individuals

ability to manage their emotions effectively.

There is also a gap in studies that explore how perceived overcrowding affects

different groups of students , particularly hostelers and day scholars. However , the

research on how these different living and studying conditions affect emotional

regulation, particularly in relation to perceived overcrowding is lacking.

This study aims to bridge this gap by examining how perceived overcrowding affects

the emotional regulation of hostelers and day scholars, two students group that

experience overcrowding in different contexts. Specifically , it will explore how their

living and studying conditions - such as sharing dormitory spaces or dealing with

overcrowded lecture halls and public transportation-impact their ability to regulate

emotions like stress, anxiety, frustration,and irritability. By comparing these factors ,

the research will provide a deeper understating of the unique emotional challenges

faced by hostelers and day scholars and contribute valuable insights into how to better

support students emotional well- being in educational environments.

3.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY-

 To know the effect of perceived overcrowding on emotional regulation.

 To know the effect of perceived overcrowding on emotional regulation among

hostelers.

 To know the effect of perceived overcrowding on emotional regulation among

day scholars.

 To compare the level of perceived overcrowding on emotional regulation

experienced by hostelers and day scholars.

3.3 Hypotheses

H1:Perceived overcrowding has a significant effect on emotional regulation.

H2:Perceived overcrowding has a significant effect on emotional regulation in

hostelers.

H3:Perceived overcrowding has a significant effect on emotional regulation in day-

scholars.

H4:There will be a significant difference in the effect of perceived overcrowding on

emotional regulation among hostelers and day-scholars.

3.4 Method

This study adopts a quantitative research design to examine the relationship between

perceived overcrowding and its effect on emotional regulation among female hostel
residents and day-scholars. A comparative approach is used to analyse the differences

between these two groups.

3.5 Sample

3.5.1 Sampling Method:

The study follows a purposive sampling method, where participants are selected based

on accessibility and willingness to participate.

3.5.2 Sample Size and Localities :

The total sample consists of 100 female college students .

50 participants are hostel residents live in on-campus dormitory facilities, which

provide a communal living environment with shared amenities, and 50 are day-

scholars who live off- campus, typically with their families or in private

accommodations .

The age range of participants is 17 to 24 years.

3.6 Variables

Predictor Variable : Perceived Overcrowding.

Criterion Variable : Emotional Regulation.

3.6.1 Inclusion Criterion:

Firstly,the participants were female college going students.

Secondly, the participants aged between 17 to 24 years.

Thirdly, the students who either live in hostel or commute as day-scholars.

3.6.2 Exclusion Criterion :

Firstly, males were excluded from the study.

Secondly, individuals below 17 years or above 24 years were excluded.

Thirdly, married individuals were not included.

3.7 Psychological tests

The collection of data was completed via two psychological scales which are as

follows:

3.7.1 Vaske and Shelby (2008),Crowding as a descriptive indicator:

Crowding is characterised as a negative appraisal of density and entails a value

judgement that the density or number of encounters with other visitors are too many

(Altman, 1975; Desor, 1972; Schmidt & Keating, 1979; Stokols, 1972). Crowding is a

phenomenon that occurs when there are too many people there. In order to underline

the subjective or evaluative aspect of the concept the term “Perceived Crowding” is

frequently employed. Self reporting approaches are typically is used to quantify

perceived crowding, which is a psychological construct that exists in the minds of

individuals and is assessed by those persons. A reasonably straightforward method of

assessing perceived congestion was devised by Heberlein and Vaske (1977). This

method involves asking individuals to rate the degree to which they felt the place was

crowded during their visit. A nine point scale is used to evaluate the responses. One or

two means that there is no crowding at all, three to four suggests that there is some

crowding, five to seven indicates moderately crowded, eight to nine indicates that

there is lot of crowding.

3.7.2 Emotional Regulation Questionnaire - Short Form (ERQ-S)

The most popular measure of emotional regulation, the emotional regulation

questionnaire (Gross & John, 2003), has an official short form called the emotional

regulation questionnaire -Short form (ERQ-S; Preece, Petrova, Mehta, & Gross,

2023). The ERQ-S is a six item self-report measure of two common emotion

regulation strategies: expressive and suppression (i.e., inhibiting behavioral

expression of emotion) and cognitive reappraisal(i.e., altering one’s perspective to

alter the emotional impact of a situation).

 CHAPTER -4

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This chapter presents the results and the discussion of the statistical analyses

conducted to examine the relationship between perceived overcrowding and

emotional regulation among hostelers and day-scholars. The study also aimed to

determine whether there is a significant difference between the two groups concerning

these variables.

4.1 Table 1

Correlation Between Perceived Overcrowding and Emotional

Regulation.

Correlations
perceived emotional
overcrowding regulation
score score
Pearson
1 .432**
perceived overcrowding Correlation
score Sig. (2-tailed) .000
N 100 100

Pearson .432** 1
emotional regulation Correlation
score
Sig. (2-tailed) .000
N 100 100
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

A Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between

perceived overcrowding and emotional regulation. The results ,as presented in Table

1, indicate that there is a moderate positive correlation between perceived

overcrowding and emotional regulation, r(98)= .432, p<.001. This suggests that as

perceived overcrowding increases,emotional regulation also tends to increase. This

correlation was statistically significant at the 0.01 level (two-tailed), indicating strong

evidence against the null hypothesis.

4.2 Table 2

Correlation Between Perceived Overcrowding and Emotional

Regulation in Hostelers.

Correlations
perceived emotional
overcrowding regulation
score score
Pearson
1 .393**
perceived overcrowding Correlation
score Sig. (2-tailed) .005
N 50 50

Pearson .393** 1
emotional regulation Correlation
score
Sig. (2-tailed) .005
N 50 50
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

A Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between

perceived overcrowding and emotional regulation in hostelers. The result, as

presented in Table 2, indicate a moderate positive correlation between perceived

overcrowding and emotional regulation, r(48)= .393, p= .005. This indicates that

higher perceived overcrowding is associated with increased emotional regulation

among hostelers. The correlation was statistically significant at the 0.01 level (two-

tailed) suggesting that the relationship is unlikely to have occurred by chance.

4.3 Table 3

Correlation Between Perceived Overcrowding and Emotional

Regulation in Day-Scholars.

Correlations
perceived emotional
overcrowding regulation
score score
Pearson
1 .449**
perceived overcrowding Correlation
score Sig. (2-tailed) .001
N 50 50

Pearson .449** 1
emotional regulation Correlation
score
Sig. (2-tailed) .001
N 50 50
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

A Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between

perceived overcrowding and emotional regulation in day- scholars. The result, as

presented in Table 3, indicate a moderate positive correlation between perceived

overcrowding and emotional regulation, r(48)= .449, p= .001. It suggests that the

higher perceived overcrowding is associated with increased emotional regulation in

day-scholars. The correlation was significant at the 0.01 level (two-tailed), indicating

strong evidence for the relationship.

 4.4 Table 4

Independent Samples t-Test for Perceived Overcrowding and

Emotional Regulation Scores.

Variable Group M SD t df p 95% CI(Lower,Upper)

Perceived Hostelers 5.68 2.18 1.94 98 .055 -0.01862, 1.73862

overcrowding
Day- 4.82 2.25
Scholars

Emotional Hostelers 35.96 6.62 1.19 98 .235 -1.00566, 4.04845

Regulation

Day- 34.44 6.11

Scholars

Note . M= Mean, SD= Standard Deviation, CI= Confidence Interval.

An Independent samples t-Test was conducted to examine whether there is a

significant difference in the effect of perceived overcrowding on emotional regulation

between hostelers and day-scholars. The result, as presented in Table 4, indicate that

there is no significant difference in perceived overcrowding scores between hostelers

(M=5.68, SD=2.18) and day-scholars (M=4.82, SD=2.25), t(98)=1.94, p= .055.

Similarly, there was no significant difference in emotional regulation scores between

hostelers (M=35.96, SD=6.62) and day-scholars (M=34.44, SD=6.11), t(98)=1.19,

p= .235. Therefore the hypothesis that perceived overcrowding affects emotional

regulation differently in hostelers and day- scholars was not supported.

4.5 DISCUSSION

This study looked at how students' perceptions of overcrowding and their ability to

control their emotions related to each other, and whether hostelers and day students

had different experiences. The results shed crucial light on how students' capacity to

control their emotions is impacted by living in crowded areas.

The findings show a strong positive relationship between emotional control and

perceived crowding. This implies that students who experience overcrowding

typically acquire better emotional control abilities. This could be explained by the

difficult environment that overcrowding creates, where students need to learn

emotional regulation skills to manage stress, preserve relationships, and navigate

social situations. People must effectively control their emotions because crowded

areas can result in disputes, distractions, and a lack of personal space. This result is

consistent with earlier studies that found people create coping strategies in

challenging situations. But it's also crucial to keep in mind that while overcrowding

may help some students better control their emotions, it may also have detrimental

effects on others, like heightened frustration or emotional distress.

Examining hostelers revealed a somewhat positive correlation between emotional

control and perceived overcrowding. Hostelers must adapt to having little personal

space and interacting with people frequently because they frequently share rooms,

study areas, and common areas with other students. Hostel residents may be

encouraged to improve their emotional regulation abilities in order to manage their

relationships, lessen conflict, and preserve emotional equilibrium. Furthermore,

structured routines and peer support are common features of hostel life, which may

aid students in overcoming the negative effects of crowding.

Day scholars showed a similar pattern, with emotional regulation positively correlated

with perceived overcrowding. It's interesting to note that day scholars had a somewhat

stronger relationship than hostelers. This might be the result of day scholars having to

control their emotions in a variety of social situations due to the overcrowding they

encounter in classrooms, public transit, and homes. Day scholars may experience

overcrowding in erratic circumstances, which makes emotional control even more

important for them than for hostelers, who may have some degree of acclimatization

to a constantly crowded living environment.

The study also investigated whether hostelers and day scholars differed significantly

in their perceptions of overcrowding and emotional control. There was no discernible

difference between the two groups, according to the results. This implies that the

experiences and reactions of day students and hostel residents to overcrowding are

comparable. Hostelers may eventually learn coping strategies despite sharing housing

and having less personal space. Day scholars, on the other hand, deal with crowding

in other contexts, like their homes, places of transportation, or study spaces, which

may also necessitate the effective control of their emotions.

All things considered, these results demonstrate how overcrowding influences

students' capacity for emotional control. Students who feel crowded tend to learn how

to control their emotions in order to deal with their environment, whether they live in

dorms or commute from home. This study highlights how crucial it is to take

environmental factors into account when figuring out how emotionally healthy

students are. Future studies could examine other elements that might affect how

students react to crowding, like personality traits, social support, and coping

mechanisms. In order to help students maintain their emotional health in crowded

settings, educational institutions and legislators should also think about ways to
enhance the living and learning environments of students by offering enough space,

supporting stress management initiatives, and fostering social support networks.

CHAPTER - 5

CONCLUSION
A comparison was made between students who lived in hostels and those who

attended day schools in order to investigate the relationship between perceived

overcrowding and emotional regulation among students. Students who are exposed to

higher levels of overcrowding tend to develop better emotional regulation skills,

according to the findings, which showed a significant positive correlation between the

two variables. It would appear from this that students' capacity to control their

feelings may be improved if they are able to adjust to being in a crowded

environment. Students who live in dorms and those who attend classes during the day

exhibited comparable patterns, suggesting that overcrowding is a problem that affects

students regardless of where they are living. It was discovered that there was no

significant difference between the two groups, which suggests that both groups

experience and deal with overcrowding in a manner that is comparable to one another.

The results of this study shed light on the influence that environmental factors have on

the psychological well-being of students and point to the necessity for educational

institutions to develop more conducive living and learning environments.

Additionally, additional factors, such as personality traits and coping strategies, could

be investigated in subsequent research in order to gain a better understanding of how

students navigate overcrowded environments while still maintaining their emotional

well-being.
 CHAPTER - 6
LIMITATIONS, SUGGESTIONS AND
PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS
6.1 Limitations of the Study

1. One of the limitations of the study is that it had a rather small sample size, which

may restrict the extent to which the findings may be generalized. Results that are

more conclusive might be obtained with a sample that is both larger and more

diversified.

2. Self-Reported Data — The research depended on the self-reports of the

participants, which may have introduced bias into the findings. Personal

experiences and subjective interpretations have the potential to contribute to the

formation of individuals' perceptions of overpopulation and the ability to regulate

their emotions.

3. The research was conducted in a cross-sectional fashion, it is not possible to

determine whether or not there is a causal connection between the perception of

overcrowding and the ability to regulate one's emotions. To assess the impacts

over a longer period of time, a longitudinal research would be required.

4. The study did not take into consideration characteristics such as personality

qualities, coping techniques, or past exposure to crowded surroundings, all of

which have the potential to alter how individuals react to overcrowding. This is a

limitation of the study.

5. There were no objective measures of congestion - The research evaluated

overcrowding based on perception rather than utilizing objective measurements

such as room density or personal space availability, which may have provided a

more accurate picture of the real impact.

6.2 Suggestions

Future research should aim to address the limitations by increasing the sample size

and incorporating objective measures of overcrowding, such as room density and

available personal space, in addition to self-reported perceptions of the situation. This

will allow for a more comprehensive understanding of the situation. As a result of

prolonged exposure to overcrowding, a longitudinal study has the potential to shed

light on the ways in which students' emotional regulation experiences shift over the

course of time. This type of study has the potential to shed light on the shifting of

these experiences. Furthermore, in the future, research could investigate the role that

personality traits, social support systems, and coping mechanisms play in moderating

the effects of overcrowding on emotional well-being. This would be an important area

of investigation.

Educational institutions and policymakers should give serious consideration to the

possibility of instituting mental health programs that offer students resources for

stress management and emotional support. This, in light of the fact that day scholars

and hostelers each face their own unique challenges, is something that should be taken

into consideration. Initiatives that promote psychological resilience should be

implemented in addition to efforts to improve living and learning conditions. It is

important that these initiatives be implemented. In this way, it will be guaranteed that

students will be able to effectively manage stress regardless of the environment in

which they find themselves.

6.3 Practical Implications

Despite the fact that the findings of this study indicate that the perception of

overcrowding does not have a significant impact on the regulation of emotions,

educational institutions and universities should continue to concentrate on the more

comprehensive factors that influence the well-being of academic students. It is

imperative that educational institutions prioritize the provision of mental health

resources such as workshops on stress management, counseling services, and peer

support groups. This is because the emotional regulation process is significantly

influenced by factors such as academic stress, financial pressures, and personal

coping strategies. The provision of students with stress management tools that are

both practical and effective can assist them in better regulating their emotions,

regardless of the living conditions in which they find themselves.

In spite of the fact that it was discovered that overcrowding does not have a direct

impact on the regulation of emotions, it is still essential to improve the

accommodations in hostels and the infrastructure on campus. Create a more

comfortable environment for students by ensuring that there is sufficient space

between students, that there is adequate ventilation, and that there are designated

common areas for relaxation. When it comes to day scholars, flexible study areas on

campus may be beneficial in helping them balance their academic and personal

responsibilities. Hostel residents may find that participating in communal activities

and engaging in structured social interactions can help alleviate any stress that may be

associated with living in shared living spaces.

There is a need for mental health programs that are specifically designed to address

the specific challenges that are faced by both day scholars and hostelers. In order to

assist students in the development of adaptive coping mechanisms, educational

institutions may implement the implementation of resilience training, mindfulness

sessions, and emotional well-being initiatives. It is possible to provide students with

additional emotional and psychological support by encouraging them to participate in

peer support networks and counseling services. In addition, both policymakers and

university administrators ought to take into consideration the possibility of designing

academic spaces and dormitories in a manner that lessens the impression of

overcrowding. Students may experience a greater sense of comfort in their

surroundings if they are provided with additional study areas, relaxation zones, and

living spaces that are well-structured.

Furthermore, additional factors that influence emotional regulation should be

investigated in future research. These factors include academic workload, personality

traits, and cultural differences in the ability to adapt to crowded environments. It is

possible for educational institutions to work together with psychologists and other

professionals in the field of mental health to develop intervention programs that are

tailored to the various coping styles of students. Additionally, members of the faculty

and administration should work toward the goal of cultivating an academic

environment that is supportive and in which students feel valued and heard. A

constructive learning environment can be fostered through the implementation of

programs and initiatives such as academic counseling, mentor-ship programs, and

student-led awareness campaigns for mental health.

Overcrowding may not be a major factor in determining how well students are able to

regulate their emotions, but addressing the broader psychological, academic, and

environmental challenges that students face can significantly improve their well-

being. The integration of mental health support systems, the improvement of campus

facilities, and the promotion of adaptive coping strategies are all ways in which
universities can create an environment that enables students to effectively manage

stress and maintain emotional stability.

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 APPENDIX

Perceived Overcrowding

Question 1: On a scale of 1 to 9 , how Crowded do you feel in your daily living

environment ( HOSTEL for hostelers ) and (HOME and CAMPUS for day scholars) ?

Emotional Regulation

Question 1: When I want to feel more positive emotion ( such as joy or amusement), I

change the way I’m thinking about the situation.

Question 2: I keep my emotions to myself.

Question 3: When I want to feel less negative emotion ( such as sadness or anger ), I

change the way I’m thinking about the situation.

Question 4: I control my emotions by not expressing them.

Question 5: I control my emotions by changing the way I think about the situation I’m

in.

Question 6: When I’m feeling negative emotions, I make sure not to express them.