Empirical investigations of a reconceptualized personal space

Abstract

Personal space has usually been defined as an area around a person’s body that is regarded as personal and private. It is assumed to contract or expand with changing circumstances. It was suggested that this view of personal space has led to (or perhaps derived from) an exclusive concern for negative, defensive reactions to the proximity of others. An alternative conceptualization of personal space was proposed that defines personal space as that area around a person’s body in which the presence of others evokes affective reactions (not necessarily negative). The results of three experiments generally support the alternative view of personal space. © 1980, The Psychonomic Society, Inc.. All rights reserved.