The Effects of Population Density and Noise - Psy 460
Running head: The Effects of Population and Noise Pollution
The Effects of Population Density and Noise Pollution University of Phoenix PSY 460 Dr. Michael Mckellip
The Effects of Population Density and Noise The term population density is described as a measurement of the number of people in an area. It is calculated by dividing the number of people by area. As of the last U.S. census, the average population density of the United States was 87.4 people per square mile (US Census Bureau, 2010). This is just an objective fact though and has little, if any, applicability to the average American’s daily life. However, when issues of excess population noise and decreased privacy are taken into account the subjective perception of population density meets the objective fact of population density. As population density increases so does the noise that the population produces, especially in crowded areas. Also, as people move to a more confined area the ability to maintain privacy and a sense of territoriality adapts and changes. To fully understand how population density affects individual people, the perceptions of noise, privacy, territoriality, and personal space must be covered and the relevance of these perceptions, and mediation thereof, must be applied to the subject of populations. Concepts of Noise Noise is unwanted electrical or electromagnetic energy that degrades the quality of signals and data. Noise occurs in digital and analog systems, and can affect files and communications of all types, including text, programs, images, audio, and telemetry. Nevertheless, the perception of noise does involve a psychological component, so the identification and classification of noise is highly subjective. Sound itself has several differentiating perceptual characteristics; pitch, tone, amplification, which correspond directly with the physical attributes of the sound itself;
The Effects of Population Density and Noise Pollution University of Phoenix PSY 460 Dr. Michael Mckellip
The Effects of Population Density and Noise The term population density is described as a measurement of the number of people in an area. It is calculated by dividing the number of people by area. As of the last U.S. census, the average population density of the United States was 87.4 people per square mile (US Census Bureau, 2010). This is just an objective fact though and has little, if any, applicability to the average American’s daily life. However, when issues of excess population noise and decreased privacy are taken into account the subjective perception of population density meets the objective fact of population density. As population density increases so does the noise that the population produces, especially in crowded areas. Also, as people move to a more confined area the ability to maintain privacy and a sense of territoriality adapts and changes. To fully understand how population density affects individual people, the perceptions of noise, privacy, territoriality, and personal space must be covered and the relevance of these perceptions, and mediation thereof, must be applied to the subject of populations. Concepts of Noise Noise is unwanted electrical or electromagnetic energy that degrades the quality of signals and data. Noise occurs in digital and analog systems, and can affect files and communications of all types, including text, programs, images, audio, and telemetry. Nevertheless, the perception of noise does involve a psychological component, so the identification and classification of noise is highly subjective. Sound itself has several differentiating perceptual characteristics; pitch, tone, amplification, which correspond directly with the physical attributes of the sound itself;
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