Short-Term Territoriality: The Influence of Time and Gender on Territorial Behavior

Authors

Audra Kooi
Celia Vander Woude
Elijah Vander Woude

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-16-2024

Faculty Sponsor

Luralyn Helming

Department

Psychology

Keywords

territoriality, gender, time

Abstract

Territoriality, the behavior of claiming and defending space or objects, has been widely studied in both animal and human contexts, but most research focuses on long-term patterns. Forty-seven undergraduate students were instructed to sit and watch videos of varying lengths. After leaving the room, participants were instructed to sit again, and their seat choices were recorded to assess territorial behavior, measured by displacement. Results showed a strong preference for returning to the same seat, which suggests territorial behavior is not exclusively established in the long term but can emerge within a few minutes.

Comments

PSYC 366 Research Project

Recommended Citation

Kooi, A., Vander Woude, C., & Vander Woude, E. (2024). Short-Term Territoriality: The Influence of Time and Gender on Territorial Behavior. Retrieved from https://digitalcollections.dordt.edu/student_work/92