Personal Space Bubbles
Anthropologist Edward T. Hall was the founder of Proxemics and laid the groundwork for further studies and examination. He saw different levels of personal space dependant on the distance separating one person from another.
Intimate Distance is 6 to 8 inches. This level of intimacy indicates a close relationship between two people who know each other and are really close. This is the greatest comfort. This distance is breeched during hugging, kissing or whispering.
Personal Distance is 1.5 feet to 4 feet. Each level of personal space is split up into a close and far phase. The closer a person stands to an individual comfortably usually is an indicator to their relationship. This level is usually reserved for family members and close friends.
Social Distance is 4 feet to 12 feet. This level is usually for work colleagues and acquaintances. You may see this person semi-often and know them fairly well. The more you see them probably the closer you will stand. Someone such as the milkman you may stand more towards the outer bounds of the social distance.
Public Distance is 12 feet to 25 feet and can vary to greater distances depending on the forum. This is most often utilized in public speaking situations such as a teacher or keynote speaker.
These levels can vary based on an individual’s interpretation or personal space and the culture in which you are in. These are the general social norms that are most often observed. Many experiments by Edward T. Hall and other scholars and businesses have confirmed this. Personal space is very much a large issue and numerous studies are done to figure out what people like best. Here an airline did personal space studies to figure out how people wish to fly. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecDH5uqsKLA
Source: Khan, A., & Kamal, A. (2010). Exploring Reactions to Invasion of Personal Space in University Students. Journal Of Behavioural Sciences, 20(2), 80-99.
-Glendon Z
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