TERRITORIAL DEFENSE IN PARKING LOTS - RETALIATION AGAINST WAITING DRIVERS

Three studies showed that drivers leaving a public parking space are t erritorial even when such behavior is contrary to their goal of leavin g. In Study 1 (observations of 200 departing cars), intruded-upon driv ers took longer to leave than nonintruded-upon drivers. In Study 2, an experiment involving 240 drivers in which level of intrusion and stat us of intruder were manipulated, drivers took longer to leave when ano ther car was present and when the intruder honked. Males left signific antly sooner when intruded upon by a higher rather than lower status c ar, whereas females' departure times did not differ as a function of t he status of the car. There was evidence that distraction might explai n some of this effect. In Study 3, individuals who had parked at a mal l were asked about how they would react to intruders. Compared to what they believed other people would do, respondents said they would leav e faster if the car were just waiting for them to leave but they would take longer to leave if the driver in the car honked at them.