Personal Space
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Overview
Personal space is “an area with invisible boundaries that surrounds us” (Baumeister and Bushman, 2008). It is a protective “buffer zone” that allows one to maintain a sense of privacy and to control the amount of stimulation one receives during interaction with another person (Dosey and Meisels). Baumeister and Bushman (2008) suggest that personal space can be divided into four categories: intimate distance, personal distance, social distance, and public distance. Intimate space, at 0 to 1.5 feet, is the closest distance possible and is appropriate when engaging in activities such as dancing, hugging, or having sexual intercourse. Personal distance falls between 1.5 and 4 feet, and is used when communicating with those that one is comfortable with and knows well. Social distance is used when interacting with strangers and ranges from 4 to 12 feet of spacing. Public distance is any distance over 12 feet and is used in formal settings, such as in a performance for an audience (Baumeister and Bushman D5).
Use of personal space often varies between different cultures, genders, and ages. In most cases less personal space is observed between people of similar age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and social status (Baumeister and Bushman D5). For example, those of Hispanic or Arab descent tend to interact at a much closer distance than European Americans and northern Europeans. In terms of gender, women tend to interact at shorter distances with one another than the distance when two men interact. Individuals in romantic relationships also choose a closer distance. Furthermore, the woman is generally the one who will move closer first. Children are not conscious of the idea of personal space until at least four years of age. Indeed, it is often socially acceptable for young children to interact with a person at any distance. However, this changes around the time a child hits puberty, at which point they have generally established the amount of personal space they are comfortable with in different situations (Baumeister and Bushman D6).
An encroachment on one’s personal space often leads to aversive effects. Because it serves a protective function, one may develop a dislike for the intruder, perform poorly on a given task, or experience negative emotions, such as aggression, hostility, or feelings of being violated (Baumeister and Bushman D6).
Personal Space in Children
Several studies of personal space were conducted with nursery school children because understanding of personal space begins to develop around age four (Gifford and Price 318). The three variables that seem to affect a child’s choice of distance from another person are the closeness of the relationship, gender, and whether the situation was formal or informal (Gifford and Price 318). In a study by Bass and Weinstein (1971), 18 boys and 16 girls between the ages of 3 ½ and 5 ½ were shown two different drawings of a room with seats at varying distances from the child. The child was told to indicate where he or she would sit in this situation. In the second part of the study, each child was brought individually to a room occupied by either an acquaintance or a stranger, and his or her choice of seat was observed. The results of these studies showed that boys chose 65% more distance between themselves than girls. Two strangers would choose a greater distance between themselves than two acquaintances would choose. Also, in the formal situation, such as in a doctor’s office or principal’s office, the children would require less distance from one another than in the informal condition, which was either a play room or a living room (Gifford and Price 322).
Personal Space and Introversion/Extroversion
Additional studies have also examined the relationship between introversion and extroversion and the amount of personal space one employs (Williams 156). The results of a study by Sommer showed that there was no difference between introverts and extroverts in how close a person thought was acceptable to stand in a social situation (Williams 157). However, it was found that extroverts will move closer to the other person much more willingly than an introvert would. Also, while extroverts were more irritated by an invasion of space or by someone standing too far away, introverts were more likely to feel self-conscious in this situation (Williams 159).
Works Cited
Baumeister, Roy F., and Brad J. Bushman. Social Psychology and Human Nature. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing, 2008.
Dosey, Michael A., and Murray Meisels. "Personal Space and Self-Protection." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 11.2 (1969): 93-97.
Gifford, Robert, and Joan Price. "Personal space in nursery school children." Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science 11 (1979): 318-326.
Williams, John L.. "Personal space and its relation to extraversion-introversion." Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science 3.2 (1971): 156-160.
