Personal Space and Human Spatial Behavior

In 1960’s Edward Hall coined the term “proxemics” to refer to ways in which people use physical space to regulate social interaction

All humans learn hundreds of rules and cues about space as they grow up based on their culture.

There are 4 interrelated topics of human spatial behavior or proxemics:

  • Personal space (Chapter 5)
  • Territoriality (Chapter 6)
  • Crowding (Chapter 7)
  • Privacy (Chapter 8)

Personal Space - Often used to refer to the whole area of human spatial behavior

Concept is used in many other fields - E.g., Anthropology, sociology, and architecture

Early influences

First coined by Katz in 1937

1950’s Hediger (animal psychologist) suggested animals are surrounded by a series of bubbles or balloons that allow proper spacing

Edward T. Hall study of proxemics or the study of spatial behavior in the 1950-60’s

The Silent Language (1959)

The Hidden Dimension (1966)

Robert Sommers - Personal Space: The behavioral basis of design (1969)

Focus on how design and furniture arrangements influence social behavior

Both Hall and Sommer adopted the idea of personal space as a “bubble or balloon”

“Bubble” idea doesn’t fit with the true meaning of human spatial behavior

Personal Space - The interpersonal distance and orientation chosen during ongoing social interactions (text)

Primary Functions

  • Protection
  • Communication

Protection Function

  • Buffer against potential emotional and physical threats
  • Common thread in several environmental theories
  • Overload theories (protect against too much stimulation)
  • Stress and arousal theories (protects against over-arousal leading to stress
  • Behavioral constraint theory (protects our privacy and personal control)

Middlemist, Knowles and Matter (1976)Controversial Field Experiment

Hypothesized that personal space invasions produce physiological arousal

Communication Function

Communicates:

  • Attraction and intimacy
  • Power
  • Status

2 Kinds of Personal Space

  • Alpha Personal Space – the objective, externally measurable distance and angle between interacting individuals
  • Beta Personal Space is the subjective experience of the distance and angle between interacting individuals
  • 24% larger than Alpha

Measuring Personal Space

3 BASIC RESEARCH METHODS (Aiello, 1987)

  • Simulation and Questionnaire methods
  • Quasi-projective or laboratory methods
  • Naturalistic or field methods

Simulation and Questionnaire methods

Require the P’s to imagine some interaction with others and to project into the situation how they think they would behave.

Include techniques such as manipulating dolls, or miniature symbolic figures

Problems: Remembering what is felt like

New version uses computer avatars

Quasi-projective or laboratory methods

Involves P’s using their own body in relation to a real or imagined other person under lab conditions as if a real interaction was occurring

Stop-Distance Method – common method

a confederate approaches the P’s until they feel uncomfortable or the instructions say “feel comfortable” and the results are very different

Interactional Method

Involve the direct and usually unobtrusive observation of people in actual interactions in laboratory situations

Naturalistic Observation Method

Measuring unplanned distances of people in natural setting

  • Uncontrollable variables
  • Unknown relationships
  • Ethical issues
  • Measurement difficulties

Situational Influences

Hall (1963) suggested that Americans use 4 ranges of personal space in their interactions with others

They depend on the quality of the relationships, the activity and the sensory qualities

Personal Space Distances (Hall, 1966)

  • Intimate distance - for embracing, touching or whispering
  • Close phase - less than 6 inches
  • Far phase - 6 to 18 inches
  • Personal Distance for interactions among good friends
  • phase - 1.5 to 2.5 feet
  • Far phase - 2.5 to 4 feet
  • Social Distance for interactions among strangers
  • Close phase - 4 to 7 feet
  • Far phase - 7 to 12 feet (business distance)
  • Public Distance used for public speaking
  • Close phase - 12 to 25 feet
  • Far phase - 25 feet or more

Cultural Differences

Hall also observed that cultures vary widely in terms of human spatial behavior and PS distances

Other researchers have confirmed some of these differences (Aiello, 1987, Remland, Jones, and Brinkman, 1995)

He attributed these differences to cultural norms regarding sensory modalities that are appropriate for communication between people

Contact Cultures

  • More immediacy
  • People stand close together
  • A lot of physical contact when communicating
  • Generally located in warm climates

Non-contact Cultures

  • Less immediacy
  • People tend to stand apart
  • Touch less or not at all when communicating
  • Generally located in cool climates

Contact groups

Arabs: Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Republic

Latin Americans: Bolivia, Cuba, Equador, El Salvador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Venezuela

Southern Europeans: France, Italy, Turkey

Non Contact Groups…

East Asians: China, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Thailand

South Asians: India and Pakistan

Northern Europeans: Austria, England, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Scotland

North Americans: United States, Canada

Different cultures set distinctive norms for closeness (for example in speaking, business, and courting), and that standing too close or too far away can lead to misunderstandings and even to culture shock.

Not knowing the correct distances for particular kinds of communication can result in partial or complete communication failure.