Space/Proxemics

Question 1

3 functions of space

Answer 1

1. regulation of conversation
2. attitude toward another person (often done unconsciously)
3. sign of status (consume a lot of space=high status-big house, big car, big desk, etc.)

Question 2

Skorjanc (1991) study

Answer 2

subjects interacted with a confederate (Scott) who was introduced as:
-just finished jail sentence for assault with weapon (3.7 seats away)
-just finished jail sentence for counterfitting money (3.3)
-a student (2.5)
If we don’t like someone, keep them far away
Closer space if we like them

Question 3

3 categories of space

Answer 3

• fixed-feature space
• semi-fixed feature space
• informal or personal space

Question 4

fixed-feature space

Answer 4

location of physical, unmoveable structures (i.e. seats in the class

Question 5

semi-fixed feature space

Answer 5

location of moveable objects (ex: table on wheels)

Question 6

informal or personal space

Answer 6

interpersonal distance

Question 7

sociopetal vs. sociofugal space

Answer 7

• sociopetal: space is organized so that it is conducive to communication between people
• sociofugal: space is arranged so that it produces solitude, and inhibits interaction between people (i.e. separate, pull apart)

Question 8

seminar, living room, classroom (student to teacher), seminar room

Answer 8

sociopetal

Question 9

study area, classroom (student to student)

Answer 9

sociofugal

Question 10

restaurant

Answer 10

hybrid, both sociopetal and sociofugal

Question 11

4 regions of proxemics

Answer 11

intimate, personal, social, public

Question 12

intimate

Answer 12

0-18 inches

feel body heat, lose visual perceptions often

Question 13

personal

Answer 13

1.5-4 ft

talking to friends, can’t feel body heat, visual and auditory

Question 14

social

Answer 14

4-12 feet
gaze is important
interacting with strangers, can’t see every detail of people

Question 15

public

Answer 15

beyond 12 feet
politician giving speech to the masses, does not even have to recognize other people, least nonverbal information available

Question 16

when space is 0….

Answer 16

touch

Question 17

Age and space use

Answer 17

• unclear up to age 5 (ex: kids will just run into you)
• space increases 5-17
• initially less space for same sex pairs (ex: cooties)
• later, less space for opposite sex pairs
• sex differences evident as early as age 7

Question 18

Sex differences in encoding of space

Answer 18

• females maintain closer interpersonal distance than men
• females approach others, especially other females, closer than males will
• males approach other males and other females at the same distance
• females will allow others to approach more closely than males

Question 19

culture and space

Answer 19

• no universals in space use, experience space differently (psychologically)
• crowding (psychological) vs. density (physical)
• contact (in between both tropics more) vs. noncontact cultures (personal space toward 4 ft space of spectrum, out of arms reach)
• Remland et al (1995) closest: irish, scottish, dutch, greek, italian, french, english: furthest

Question 20

personality and use of personal space

Answer 20

-preferences for closer space increases with increasing degree of extraversion
-people who are high in social anxiety tend to use longer interacting distance
-people high in need for affiliation use closer interacting distances
-

Question 21

decoding space: crowding and performance (yerkes-dodson law)

Answer 21

• correlated with density (more dense, more crowding)
• curvalinear relationship between crowding and performance (want middle range)
• close space with strangers is more “crowding” than with friends
• most crowding with male strangers, least with female friends

Question 22

distance and arousal

Answer 22

• changes in skin conductance
• too close > arousal
• for females, too far also > arousal
• the closer the invasion, the sooner the evacuation (studies-library, street crossing)

Question 23

restaurant tipping

Answer 23

• waitresses approached patrons seated by themselves in a rest. in France at either .5, 1.5, or 2.5 feet
• 478 customers (287 M, 191 F)
• a great percentage of customers in the close condition left a tip
• customers in the close condition left higher tips than in the other two conditions

Question 24

threats of violence

Answer 24

• imagine a heated argument scenario
• what cues would suggest imminent violence?
• # 1: assuming a boxers stance (posture)
• # 2: invasion of personal space
• not much culture/ethnic differences

Question 25

Intimacy Equilibrium Theory

Answer 25

• people are subject to two motivations in interpersonal interactions (ex: teeter totter)
  1. ) being intimate (approach)
  2. ) stay separate (avoid)
• balance between these two motivations is a point of equilibrium
• if one persons behavior upsets this equilibrium, the other will compensate

Question 26

arousal labeling theory

Answer 26

• close distance creates arousal in decoder
• if this arousal is labeled positively decoder will approach (reciprocate)
• if this arousal is labeled negatively, the decoder will avoid (compensate)