Living in the city can be a constant barrage of noises, sounds and smells. It is enough to make a person feel overwhelmed. This condition is known as stimulus overload. It occurs when our nervous system is overworked with too much sensory information flooding our mind at the same time and we cannot give our full attention to the various situations that are surrounding us (Schneider, Gruman, and Coutts, 2012). Fortunately, there are strategies we use to combat stimulus overload and keep it from impacting our urban lifestyle. Milgram purposed there are six psychological retreat strategies we use to address stimulus overload. One, we try to get through social situations as fast as possible. Two, we prioritize who gets our attention. Three, we design systems to limit personal interaction. Four, we setup obstacles to make it hard to reach us. Five, we limit contact by using filters. Finally, we create specialized agents to deal with issues. My daily commute to work is an example of how we employ these strategies on a daily basis.
First, I usually arrive at the train station 15 minutes before the departure time. This gives me enough time to park and run to catch the train. People try to stop and ask me a question but I tell them I am running late for my train. The people usually understand and go on their merry way. So, I rushed through the social interaction with minimal contact. This is an example of the first condition which is we rush through social situations as fast as possible.
Second, there are usually people sitting outside the train station with signs asking for money. I do not make eye contact with these people or pay any attention to them. I do feel bad but I have other activities to watch out for. I have to watch the monitors to see which track the train is coming on. Also, I have to stay vigilant and keep an eye out for suspicious people. All the while I am listening to announcement to see if any of them are regarding my train. So you see, I am prioritizing which activities get my attention.
As the conductor comes around to collect my ticket, the third condition goes into effect. The seats on the train have a device which allows you to put your ticket or monthly pass in it. This gives the conductor access to it without any conversation or interaction. In addition, I pay for my monthly pass online, so I do not have to see a ticket agent for its purchase. These two transaction used structures to limit my interactions with people. This is the very definition of the third condition which we design systems to limit personal interaction.
Now that I am on the train and the conductor has confirmed that I am a paying customer, the fourth strategy comes to bear. You see, I just sit back and put my ear buds in my ears. Now, it is almost impossible to reach me. You would have to physically touch me and studies show most people would not feel comfortable touching a stranger (Suvilehto et al, 2015). This is an example of creating an obstacle to make it hard to reach you. I would say that about 90% of my fellow commuters have smartphones, earphones or are texting. I believe this strategy is the preferred method of psychological retreat for commuters.
At the end of the day, living in the city can be a great experience that can overwhelm our senses. Fortunately, our brain has mechanisms to combat this stimulus overload and we use these techniques every day. I used four of these techniques on my commute. However, we all probably employ all six throughout a given day. These include the following: One, we try to get through social situations as fast as possible. Two, we prioritize who gets our attention. Three, we design systems to limit personal interaction. Four, we setup obstacles to make it hard to reach us. Five, we limit contact by using filters. Finally, we create specialized agents to deal with issues. So, people employ psychology every day and do not even know it. Who would have thought my commute to work could be a Milgram experiment?
References:
Haddad, L., Schäfer, A., Streit, F., Lederbogen, F., Grimm, O., Wüst, S., Meyer-Lindenberg, A. (2015). Brain structure correlates of urban upbringing, an environmental risk factor for schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 41(1), 115-122. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/10.1093/schbul/sbu072
Schneider, F, Gruman, J and Coutts, L (2012). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems. Sage Publication Inc.: Thousand Oaks, CA
Suvilehto J, Glerean E, Dunbar R, Hari R and Nummenmaa L (2015) Topography of social touching depends on emotional bonds between humans. PNS. 112 (45) 13811-13816
doi:10.1073/pnas.1519231112