Introduction “You have probably noticed how your emotions and behavior change when you are in a situation that you perceive as very crowded,” says J.B. Calhoun. In 1962, an ecologist named J.B Calhoun began to experiment with the concept of overpopulation using subjects. He wanted to fully see the effects that overpopulation had on the social behavior of subjects. Calhoun hypothesized that subjects put in a highly populated area would display abnormal behavior than if they were in a less populated area. Calhoun said that putting humans in such high-density condition would be unethical, so he started experimenting with rats instead. The main objective of the experiment was to see the effects between highly populated locations and behavior. Method In Calhoun’s experiment, adult rats were placed in a 10 by 14-foot room. This room was then split into four different sections that
could be accessed via the use of ramps. Each section provided the essential food, water, and nesting materials for the rats to survive in their own sections without the need to go into other sections. The rats could potentially stay in their specific sections and not moved into other sections and remain healthy. The researchers then sat back and viewed the results through a window in the ceiling of the room itself.
the middle sections were known as the behavioral sink. After the experiment, Calhoun realized his hypothesis was spot on and that it was very clear that overpopulated environments resulted in abnormal social behavior. Calhoun did not attempt to apply his finding to humans because rats and people have juristically different anatomies. This doesn’t mean that overpopulated environments do not affect other species. Any species in an overpopulated environment would show some levels of abnormal behavior such as an increase in aggression towards other subjects. Implications in Psychology
Results The results of the experiment proved that rats in the middle sections, which were more populated, showed abnormal and more aggressive behavior than those in the outer, less populated areas. Besides being more aggressive, these rats also showed other effects on their sexual nature. The rats in
These findings can show how people are more likely to have a change of mood and behavior when they are in an overpopulated and highly dense environment that those who are in a less densely populated area. This can be useful in creating less aggressive areas for people to live in as well as knowing that more aggressive people should not be allowed to live in highly dense
environments unless people want them to be even more aggressive.