Nonverbal Communication:Proxemics and use of Space

Overview of Proxemics

The study of humankind’s “perception and use of space.” (Edward T. Hall)

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

Most people don’t think about space as being culturally patterned. Foreign spacial rules are often misinterpreted and

can lead to bad feelings

Invisible boundaries (Bubbles)

Every living thing has physical boundary, and every living thing is surrounded by a series of invisible boundaries.

The invisible boundaries start at the edge of the physical boundary and progress outward.

More difficult to see than the physical boundary because they are invisible but just as real.

Invisible Boundaries (Bubbles)

Each person’s invisible bubble of space expands and contracts. Size depends on… Their relationship to those around them

Their emotional state

Their cultural background

The activity they are performing

In nothern Europe (Germany and Scandinavia): people’s bubbles are quite large. As one moves south (France, Italy, Greece, and Spain), the bubbles become increasingly smaller.

Contact vs. Non-contact Cultures

Contact Cultures More immediacy

People stand closer together

A lot of physical contact when communicating

Non-contact Cultures Less immediacy

People tend to stand apart

Touch less or not at all when communicating

Contact vs. Non-contact Cultures

Contact groups:

Arabs: Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria

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

Southern Europeans: France, Italy, Greece, Turkey

Moderate contact: India and Pakistan

Contact vs. Non-contact Cultures

Non-Contact Groups:

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

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

North Americans: United States, Canada

Zones of Interaction

Edward T. Hall, in his book The Silent Language, wrote that white middle-class American use four different interaction zones. Distances people try to keep between themselves

and others at different occasions.

Four Zones of Interaction 1st Zone: Intimate Distance

2nd Zone: Personal Distance

3rd Zone: Social Distance

4th Zone: Public Distance

Zones of Interaction

1st Zoe: Intimate Distance From physical contact (touching) to about 45 cm

Adults usually do not publicly use this zone unless they are in a crowded elevator, bus, or similar situation.

2nd Zone: Personal Distance From 45 cm to 120 cm

This distance is used at parties when two or three people are talking together.

If they want to talk about something more personal, they will move closer together.

Zones of Interaction

3rd Zone: Social Distance From 120 cm to 4 m

This distance is often used for doing business and for talking with strangers

4th Zone: Public Distance From 4 m to the limit of our voice and hearing

This distance is rarely used by most people

Generally only used by people such as teachers, politicians, public speakers etc.

Possible Communication Failure

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.

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

Escalator Space

Men reacted more to the person standing immediately behind them than women did (i.e. just one step behind with the hands reaching forward on the rail so as to be visible to the person ahead (Vrukt & Kerkstra, 1984).

Women seem to prefer to act as if they do not notice anything, so that unwanted contact can be avoided. Men make it clear in their reactions that they do not appreciate such rapprochement ahead (Vrukt & Kerkstra, 1984).

Parking Space

A study of more than 400 drivers at an Atlanta-area shopping mall parking lot found that motorists defend their spots instinctively (AP, 1997)

“It’s not your paranoid imagination after all: People exiting parking spaces really do leave more slowly when you’re waiting for the spot…. It’s called territorial behavior…” (AP, 1997)

Library Seating Space

Regardless of an “invader’s” gender, men already seated at an otherwise unoccupied table view opposite-sitting invaders most negatively while already seated women view adjacent invaders most negatively (Fisher and Byrne, 1975)