CMN 122 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Proxemics, Electrodermal Activity, Extraversion And Introversion
Space (Proxemics)
● We can use space to communicate to others
● Functions of Space
○ Regulation of conversation
■ Space works well as a conversation regulator
● Ex: create more distance between you and other person to lead to
ending the conversation
○ Sign of status
■ Can use space as a sign of status
● those w/ higher status tend to take up more space
○ Ex: big office
○ Attitude toward another person
■ Space related to attitude toward other person
● Will share more space w/ person you have pos attitude toward
● Attitude & space
○ Subjects interacted with a confederate who was introduced as
■ “Just finished up a jail sentence for assault with a weapon”
■ “Just finished up a jail sentence for counterfeiting money”
■ “Is an undergraduate student”
○ Average distance (in seats”
■ Violent offender (3.7)
■ Nonviolent offender (3.3)
■ Student (2.5)
○ Increased distance when dislike/ neg attitude increased
○ The distance reflects the person's attitude toward the other person
● 3 categories of space
○ Fixed - feature space
■ Cannot change it, move it
■ Ex: chairs in lecture hall that are bolted to ground
● Cannot move them
○ Semi-fixed feature space
■ Items that can be moved
■ Ex: desks w/chair. Can move them
■ Ex: couch, dining table, bed, etc.
■ It is NOT bolted to ground or wall
○ Informal or personal space
■ Individual personal space
■ Ex: personal bubble
● Sociopetal vs. sociofugal space
○ Sociopetal - space is organized so that it is conducive to communication between
people
■ Space is organized to encourage communication
■ Ex: organizing living room
○ Sociofugal - space is arranged so that it produces solitude, & inhibits interaction
between people
■ Organized to encourage solitude
■ Tries to separate people or prevent people from interacting w/ others
○ *** these 2 can be fixed-feature or semi-fixed feature
●
○ Lounge - sociofugal
■ Chairs are not facing toward each other
○ Living room - sociopetal
○ Seminar room - sociopetal
○ Classroom - sociofugal
■ Not trying to encourage communication between students
○ Study area
■ Sociofugal for individual chairs
■ Sociopetal for table in middle
○ Restaurant
■ Sociopetal - for people at 1 table
■ Sociofugal - for the 2 diff tables
● People's backs are to the people at table behind them
○ *** place can have BOTH sociopetal & sociofugal
○ *** context makes big difference in how you categorize sociopetal or sociofugal
● 4 regions of proxemics
○ Proxemics - personal space/ bubble
○ This is based on the US. There is NO universal space estimate that applies to all cultures
○ Intimate: 0 -18 inches
■ Can smell, touch, & sense other person's body heat
○ Personal: 1.5 - 4 feet
Document Summary
Subjects interacted with a confederate who was introduced as. Just finished up a jail sentence for assault with a weapon . Just finished up a jail sentence for counterfeiting money . We can use space to communicate to others. Space works well as a conversation regulator. Ex: create more distance between you and other person to lead to ending the conversation. Can use space as a sign of status those w/ higher status tend to take up more space. Space related to attitude toward other person. Will share more space w/ person you have pos attitude toward. The distance reflects the person"s attitude toward the other person. Ex: chairs in lecture hall that are bolted to ground. It is not bolted to ground or wall. Sociopetal - space is organized so that it is conducive to communication between people. Sociofugal - space is arranged so that it produces solitude, & inhibits interaction between people.
