Adaptation to air pollution

Violence is a curvilinear function of temperature in Dallas: A replication.

“…Taking perception first, there is ample evidence (e.g., Russell & Lanius, 1984) that past experiences affect current appraisals. Just as long-term Los Angeles residents are less likely than newcomers to notice visual portrayals of smog (Evans, Jacobs, & Frager, 1982), we suspect that Dallas residents are less likely to notice high temperatures and perhaps appraise them as a threat than are individuals living in Minneapolis. At a behavioral level, it can be argued that differences in architectural styles (e.g., concrete block versuswood construction, covered sidewalks in southern cities), air-conditioning, and number of swimming pools make it easier to cope with high temperatures in Dallas than in Minneapolis.…”

The psychological needs of city dwellers: implications for sustainable urban planning

“…For example, passers-by were less likely to help a blind person who dropped his or her glove if cigarette smoke was in the air (Bennett and Casey, 1989). Long-time residents are less likely than new immigrants to a city to report a given day as smoggy, despite being capable of perceiving the pollution (Evans et al, 1982). Those who lived near a newly built highway reported being just as annoyed by the new source of noise 16 months after construction as they were after 4 months (Weinstein, 1982).…”

Technological Nature: How Deep Can We Go? Response to Review of Technological Nature: Adaptation and the Future of Human Life

“…There is not too much experimental data that directly tests the hypothesis of environmental generational amnesia. The best study that I am aware of was conducted by Evans, Jacobs, and Frager (1982). They established two groups of participants.…”

“…Morality aside, adaptations can be not only good but bad for the biological system. In the previous chapter, I discussed a study by Evans, Jacobs, and Frager (1982) that found that people who live with a certain level of air pollution for an extended period of time become desensitized to that pollution, and less readily recognize that such pollution exists. Imagine, then, that we had grown up in a rural area with clean air and then as adults moved to a dense, noisy, and polluted city, such as Los Angeles.…”