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Communicating Through Personal Space

The fourth nonverbal communication code, proxemics (from the Latin proximus, meaning “near”), is communication through the use of physical distance. Edward T. Hall, one of the first scholars to study proxemics, identified four communication distances: intimate, personal, social, and public (Hall, 1966). Intimate space ranges from 0 to 18 inches. Sharing intimate space with someone counts among the defining nonverbal features of close relationships (see Figure 7.1). Personal space ranges between 18 inches and 4 feet and is the distance we occupy during encounters with friends. For most Americans and Canadians, personal space is about your “wingspan”—that is, the distance from fingertip to fingertip when you extend your arms. Social space ranges from about 4 to 12 feet. Many people use it when communicating in the workplace or with acquaintances and strangers. In public space, the distance between persons ranges upward from 12 feet, including great distances; this span occurs most often during formal occasions such as public speeches or college lectures.

In addition to the distance we each claim for ourselves during interpersonal encounters, we also have certain physical areas or spaces in our lives that we consider our turf. Territoriality is the tendency to claim physical spaces as our own and to define certain locations as areas we don’t want others to invade without permission (Chen & Starosta, 2005). Human beings react negatively to others who invade their perceived territory, and we respond positively to those who respect it (King, 2001). Imagine coming home to your apartment after school. Walking into your bedroom, you find your housemate sitting at your desk, watching a movie on your computer. How would you respond? If you’re like most people, you would feel angry and upset. Even though your housemate is not violating your personal space (distance from your body), he or she is inappropriately encroaching on physical space that you consider your territory.

What can you do to become more sensitive to differences in the use of personal space? Keep in mind that, as noted earlier in this chapter, North Americans’ notions of personal space tend to be larger than those in most other cultures, especially people from Latin America or the Middle East. When interacting with people from other cultures, adjust your use of space in accordance with your conversational partner’s preferences. Realize, also, that if you’re from a culture that values large personal space, others will feel most comfortable interacting at a closer distance than you’re used to. If you insist on maintaining a large personal space bubble around yourself when interacting with people from other cultures, they may think you’re aloof or distant or that you don’t want to talk with them.