URBAN STRESSORS IN SOUTH-ASIA - IMPACT ON MALE AND FEMALE PEDESTRIANSIN DELHI AND DHAKA

In two studies, pedestrians in Old and New Delhi (India) and Dhaka (Ba ngladesh) were asked about their reactions to three stressors common t o rapidly growing urban areas in South Asia: noise, air pollution, and crowding. Results from the first study, a survey of men in Old Delhi, indicated that respondents who were more upset by noise and by crowdi ng also reported more physical symptoms and less perceived control. In the second study, male and female pedestrians were interviewed in New Delhi and Dhaka. Results revealed consistent gender, country and gend er by country effects on measures of general affect ratings of stresso rs, and coping responses. In addition, results from an experimental ma nipulation in Study 2 indicated that in both countries, telling pedest rians about the effects of air pollution or crowding made them feel si gnificantly worse than they would have felt had they not been given an y information.