COMM 502 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Categorical Imperative, Immanuel Kant, Orienting Response

• School: Bloomsburg University
• Department: COMM - Communication
• Course: COMM 502
• Professor: La Valley, Angela

Document Summary

Judee burgoon defines personal space as the invisible, variable volume of space surrounding an individual that defines that individual"s preferred distance from others. The size and shape of our personal space depends upon cultural norms and individual preferences. Personal space is always a compromise between the conflicting approach- avoidance needs that we as humans have for affiliation and privacy. Edward hall coined the term proxemics to refer to the study of people"s use of space as a special elaboration of culture. He believed that most spatial interpretation is outside our awareness. He believed that americans have four proxemic zones. He maintained that effective communicators adjust their nonverbal behavior to conform to the communicative rules of their partners. Burgoon suggests that under some circumstances, violating social norms and personal expectations is a superior strategy to conformity. According to burgoon"s early model, crossing over the threat threshold that forms the boundary of the intimate distance causes physical and psychological discomfort.