Environmental Issues

Statement of the problem
The relationship between noise, crowding and barren environments on peoples behaviour, mental fatigue and the prevalence of violence and aggression.

The impact of exposure to elements of nature (trees, flowers, grass, etc) on aggressive behaviour (Kuo  Sullivan, 2001, pg 543-44).

The link between crowding and aggression has attracted the attention of many scholars. The importance of the issue stems from its multi-disciplinary nature as it relates to crime, violence, poverty, health and the environment. This problem is thus the focus of scholars from numerous fields.

The authors draw from books and journal articles focussing on the issues of human behaviour, crime and violence, and the environment. By relating the findings of different scholars and theorists, Kuo  Sullivan (2001) support their findings of this crucial link. That the authors go to the extent of consulting journals and books dedicated to mental health, and architecture is an indication of the depth of the study.

Methods employed
Three adult and long-time residents of Robert Taylor were selected and trained for the study.

Sampling was done to select the people who would participate in the study. The study focused on women aged below 65 years.

Individual interviews were then conducted in the participants apartments during summer and fall months (Kuo  Sullivan, 2001, pg 552).

The findings of this study were consistent with previous studies into the relationship between aggression and the presence or absence of elements of the natural environment. Interviewees living in green conditions were less aggressive or violent compared to their counterparts who lived in barren surroundings (Kuo  Sullivan, 2001 558).

The implication of these findings is that it is possible to predict an individuals behaviour by knowing the environment the individual lives in. That the presence of natural elements like trees near ones residence can have a significant and positive effect on ones behaviour suggests that city and municipal councils, as well as individuals, can scale down their aggressive tendencies by ensuring that their residences provide a view of the natural environment, which they can do by planting trees, flowers or grass.

The authors do not make it exactly clear whether the impact of the natural environment on an individuals behaviour results from seeing the natural elements, or by actually touching them. A difference would arise in that those living on the higher floors of highrise buildings can see larger expanses, and therefore more physical elements than those living on the lower floors and who can only see the few elements which are in the immediate vicinity. On the other hand, those living on the lower floors have more opportunities of touching the elements in the immediate vicinity, compared to those living on the top floors, who can see more elements but would have to go all the way to the lower floors to touch the elements.