The Human Response to an Invasion of Personal Space

1
The Human Response to an Invasion of Personal
Space

• Kevin Preston
• Melissa Osborne
• Bellarmine University

2
Space Is . . .

• Public Zone Interaction with strangers (10
  25 ft)
• Social Zone Conversing with aquaintances (4
  10 ft)
• Personal Zone Conversing with close friends (18
  in 4 ft)
• Intimate Zone Whispering and embracing (within
  18 inches of your body)

3
A Closer Look at Personal Space What it Means
to 50 People

• Space Among Strangers
• At least an arms length
• About 2 to 3 feet around body
• Far enough to not smell breath
• Space Among Closest Friends
• No bubble
• Psychological v. Physical

4
What We Did

• Went to 3 locations
• Bellarmine University
• Oxmoor Center
• Highland Coffee Shop
• Deliberately invaded personal space of strangers
• Noted reactions
• We never got hit!

5
What Variable Did We Test?

• Tested reactions based on 2 factors
• Reaction based on age groups
• Young adult (15 30)
• Adult (31 50)
• Elderly (50)
• Reaction based on gender
• Male to male interaction
• Male to female interaction
• Female to female interaction

6
Young Adult Male v. Male

• Positive 0
• None 4
• Nervousness 60
• Move Away 24
• Anger 12

7
Young adult Male v. Female

• Positive 28
• None 12
• Nervousness 36
• Move Away 24
• Anger 0

8
Young Adult Female v. Female

• Positive 0
• None 8
• Nervousness 20
• Move Away 68
• Anger 4

9
Adult Male v. Male

• Positive 0
• None 32
• Nervousness 16
• Move Away 52
• Anger 0

10
Kevin TJ stalking the next victim an adult
male
11
TJ sits next to adult male
12
Adult Male v. Female

• Positive 20
• None 8
• Nervousness 48
• Move Away 24
• Anger 0

13
Adult male minding his own business
14
Melissa sitting next to the adult male
15
Subject panics and moves away
16
Adult Female to Female

• Positive 8
• None 0
• Nervousness 20
• Move Away 56
• Anger 16

17
Elderly Male v. Male

• Positive 44
• None 32
• Nervousness 8
• Move Away 16
• Anger 0

18
Kevin sits between two men
19
Elderly man gets nervous
20
Elderly Male v. Female

• Positive 60
• None 16
• Nervousness 12
• Move Away 12
• Anger 0

21
Elderly Female v. Female

• Positive 36
• None 8
• Nervousness 8
• Move Away 20
• Anger 28

22
General Trends

• 58.2 showed some signs of nervousness
• 7 showed visible anger
• Positive results common among male to female
  interactions
• Increase in positive results for elderly
  interactions
• Response is almost always seen in male to male
  interactions, rarely do nothing

23
Works Cited

• www.salon.com
• http//members.aol.com/katydidit/bodylang.htm
• http//www.huna.org/html/territor.html