In recent years the college dormitory has become a popular setting for examining chronic effects of crowding and high density in humans. Possible differences between corridor- and suite-type residents were investigated to examine the degree to which corridor- and suite-design dormitories influence assertive behavior of the residents. It was hypothesized that if corridor-type residents exhibited behaviors consistent with a learned helplessness explanation, they would be less likely than suite-type residents to use assertive behaviors. Results indicated that there were no differences across demographic and biographical variables between suite and corridor residents. However, summed scores on the Rathus Assertiveness Schedule revealed that suite residents reported being significantly more assertive across a number of settings than corridor residents. In a second controlled laboratory study, data revealed that subjects who actually engaged in assertive behavior in the laboratory reported being more assertive on the Rathus Assertiveness Schedule than subjects who did not assert themselves in the experimental condition. Corridor residents were less assertive than residents living in suite-type dormitories. (Author)