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Territoriality

Seat Preferences in Different Types of Classroom Arrangements

University of Georgia, Athens

Brigitte Burgess

University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, brigitte.burgess{at}usm.edu

Students' degree of territoriality based on gender and seat preferences in different types of classroom arrangements was studied. The types of classroom arrangements included rows of tablet-arm chairs, U-shaped, clusters, and rows of tables with individual chairs. The study was carried out through a survey at a large public institution in the southeast region of the United States. Results indicate that students who preferred seats at the end of rows of tables with individual chairs and tablet-arm chair arrangements had higher scores on claiming a particular seat than those who preferred middle seats in a row. In the rows of tables with individual chair arrangement, students who preferred seats at the end of rows also had more need to define their own territory than students who preferred middle seats in a row. No significant results were found in the U-shaped and cluster layouts. Females had higher scores on claiming a particular seat than males regardless of seating arrangement.

Key Words: territoriality • classroom • seat preference • college students

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This version was published on November 1, 2007

Environment and Behavior, Vol. 39, No. 6, 859-876 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0013916506298798


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This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Kaya, N. Articles by Burgess, B. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?