Distinguishing territoriality and privacy: Two studies

Two studies were designed to explore differences between human territoriality and privacy. Study I was designed to determine whether subjects would distinguish between settings offering (1) privacy, (2) territory, (3) both, or (4) neither, and whether they would be prepared to sacrifice privacy for territory (or vice versag in choosing settings for certain specified activities. Results showed that subjects did make these distinctions. Study II was a laboratory experiment designed to explore the separate psychological effects of territory and privacy. In it, subjects first territorialized individual experimental rooms then half completed dependent measures (focusing on attribution) in their new territories, while half worked in comparable rooms they had not seen before. Subjects were also divided so that half had privacy while completing the measures, while half had none. Results indicated that privacy led subjects to attribute their behavior less to the influence of others, and, independently, subjects working on their own territories attributed their behavior more to own personality. Private environments were also reported as being more stimulating and free, and subjects were more creative there.

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