ASSIGNMENT 2

PROXEMICS

KASHISH
2ND YEAR
SEM IV
PSYCHOLOGY OF
SPATIAL RELAATION
 PROXEMICS
• THE STUDY OF SPACE AND HOW WE USE IT, HOW IT MAKES
US FEEL MORE OR LESS COMFORTABLE, AND HOE WE
ARRANGE OBJECT AND OURSELVES IN RELATION TO SPACE. EDWARD T. HALL
1914 – 2009
• THE TERM WAS COINED BY THE ANTHROPOLOGIST :
EDWARD T. HALL.

• HALL WAS INTERESTED IN UNDERSTANDING HOW HUMAN

USE SPACES IN COMMUNICATION.

• ACCORDING TO HALL, THE STUDY OF PROXEMICS IS VALUABLE

IN EVALUATING NOT ONLY THE WAY PEOPLE INTERACT WITH
OTHERS IN DAILY LIFE, BUT ALSO "THE ORGANIZATION OF
SPACE IN THEIR HOUSES AND BUILDINGS, AND ULTIMATELY
THE LAYOUT OF THEIR TOWNS".

• PROXEMICS REMAINS A HIDDEN COMPONENT OF

INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION THAT IS UNCOVERED
THROUGH OBSERVATION AND STRONGLY INFLUENCED BY
CULTURE.
 TYPES OF PROXIMICS
1. INTIMATE
• INTIMATE DISTANCE IS THAT WHICH IS USED FOR VERY CONFIDENTIAL
COMMUNICATIONS. THIS ZONE OF DISTANCE IS CHARACTERIZED BY 0
TO 2 FEET OF SPACE BETWEEN TWO INDIVIDUALS.
• AN EXAMPLE OF INTIMATE DISTANCE IS TWO PEOPLE HUGGING,
HOLDING HANDS, OR STANDING SIDEBY-SIDE.
• PEOPLE IN INTIMATE DISTANCE SHARE A UNIQUE LEVEL OF COMFORT
WITH ONE ANOTHER. THOSE WHO ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH
SOMEONE WHO APPROACHES THEM IN THE INTIMATE ZONE WILL
EXPERINCE A GREAT DEAL OF SOCIAL DISCOMFORT OR INTIMATE
AWKWARDNESS.

2. PERSONAL
• PERSONAL DISTANCE IS USED FOR TALKING WITH FAMILY AND CLOSE
FRIENDS.
• ALTHOUGH IT GIVES A PERSON A LITTLE MORE SPACE THAN INTIMATE
DISTANCE, IT IS STILL VERY CLOSE IN PROXIMITY TO THAT OF INTIMACY,
AND MAY INVOLVE TOUCHING.
• PERSONAL DISTANCE CAN RANGE FROM 2 TO 4 FEET. LIKE INTIMATE
DISTANCE, IF A STRANGER APPROACHES SOMEONE IN THE PERSONAL
ZONE, HE OR SHE IS LIKELY TO FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE BEING IN SUCH
CLOSE PROXIMITY WITH THE STRANGER.
PERSONAL
 TYPES OF PROXIMICS
3. SOCIAL
• SOCIAL DISTANCE IS USED IN BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS, MEETING NEW
PEOPLE AND INTERACTING WITH GROUPS OF PEOPLE.
• SOCIAL DISTANCE HAS A LARGE RANGE IN THE DISTANCE THAT IT CAN
INCORPORATE. FROM 4 TO 12 FEET, IT IS CLEAR THAT SOCIAL DISTANCE
DEPENDS ON THE SITUATION.
• SOCIAL DISTANCE MAY BE USED AMONG STUDENTS, CO-WORKERS, OR
ACQUAINTANCES. GENERALLY, PEOPLE WITHIN SOCIAL DISTANCE DO
NOT ENGAGE IN PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH ONE ANOTHER.
SOCIAL

4. PUBLIC
• PUBLIC SPACE IS THE SPACE THAT CHARACTERIZES HOW CLOSE WE SIT
OR STAND TO SOMEONE, LIKE A PUBLIC FIGURE OR PUBLIC SPEAKER.
• SO, IF YOU ARE AT AN EVENT LISTENING TO A PROFESSOR GIVE A
LECTURE, YOU ARE PROBABLY ABOUT 12-25 FEET AWAY

PUBLIC
 HUMAN DISTANCES •PUBLIC DISTANCE USED FOR PUBLIC SPEAKING
• EDWARD HALL DESCRIBED THE INTERPERSONAL DISTANCES OF HUMANS IN
FOUR DISTINCT ZONES: CLOSE PHASE – 12 TO 25 FEET (3.7 TO 7.6 M)

1. INTIMATE SPACE FAR PHASE – 25 FEET (7.6 M) OR MORE

2. PERSONAL SPACE
3. SOCIAL SPACE
4. PUBLIC SPACE

• INTIMATE DISTANCE FOR EMBRACING, TOUCHING OR WHISPERING

CLOSE PHASE – LESS THAN ONE INCH (ONE TO TWO CM)

FAR PHASE – 6 TO 18 INCHES (15 TO 46 CM)

• PERSONAL DISTANCE FOR INTERACTIONS AMONG GOOD FRIENDS

OR FAMILY
CLOSE PHASE – 1.5 TO 2.5 FEET (46 TO 76 CM)
FAR PHASE – 2.5 TO 4 FEET (76 TO 122 CM)

• SOCIAL DISTANCE FOR INTERACTIONS AMONG ACQUAINTANCE

CLOSE PHASE – 4 TO 7 FEET (1.2 TO 2.1 M)

FAR PHASE – 7 TO 12 FEET (2.1 TO 3.7 M)

 ORGANIZATION OF SPACE IN TERRITORIES

• WHILE PERSONAL SPACE DESCRIBES THE IMMEDIATE SPACE • TWO PEOPLE NOT AFFECTING EACH OTHER'S
SURROUNDING A PERSON, TERRITORY REFERS TO THE AREA WHICH A PERSONAL SPACE
PERSON MAY "LAY CLAIM TO" AND DEFEND AGAINST OTHERS.
• THERE ARE FOUR FORMS OF HUMAN TERRITORY IN PROXEMIC
THEORY. THEY ARE:

1. PUBLIC TERRITORY: A PLACE WHERE ONE MAY FREELY ENTER. THIS

TYPE OF TERRITORY IS RARELY IN THE CONSTANT CONTROL OF JUST
ONE PERSON. HOWEVER, PEOPLE MIGHT COME TO TEMPORARILY
OWN AREAS OF PUBLIC TERRITORY.

2. INTERACTIONAL TERRITORY: A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CONGREGATE

INFORMALLY
• REACTION OF TWO PEOPLE WHOSE REGIONS
OF PERSONAL SPACE ARE IN CONFLICT
3. HOME TERRITORY: A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CONTINUOUSLY HAVE
CONTROL OVER THEIR INDIVIDUAL TERRITORY

4. BODY TERRITORY: THE SPACE IMMEDIATELY SURROUNDING US

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-proxemics-definition-examples.html
• https://www.communicationstudies.com/communication-theories/proxemics
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/proxemics
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proxemics