The effect of pressure and controlled stretching has been measured on both the steady-state and time-dependent emission from p-N-N-dimethylaminobenzylidenemalononitrile (DMABMN) in polyvinylacetate (PVA) and polyvinylchloride (PVCl). Using a model involving the radiative and non-radiative rates of dissipation of the excited state energy as well as the transfer rates between the planar and twisted excited states, one can predict the changes in steady-state emission from the time-dependent data for both the effect of pressure and controlled stretching.