PROXEMICS

The term Proxemics was coined by

researcher Edward Hall in 1966.

Proxemics is the study of measurable
distances between people as they interact.



This social
distance is also
known as body
space and comfort
zone and the use
of this space is
called proxemics.

Social Distance

Why the distance?

Regulating the distances between us and other people
provides us with several benefits, including:

Safety: When people are distant, they can't surprise
attack us.
Communication: When people are closer, it is easier to
communicate with them.
Affection: When they are closer still, we can be
intimate.
Threat: The reverse can be used - you may deliberately
threaten a person by invading their body space.



Physical territory such as why desks face the
front of a classroom rather than towards a
center isle.
Personal territory are things that we can
carry with us.


Four areas of personal territory:

Public Space ranges from 12 to 25 feet and is the
distance maintained between the audience and the
speaker.
Social Space ranges from 4 to 10 feet, this is used
to separate strangers in public areas.
Personal Space ranges from 2 to 4 feet, this is used
among friends and family members.
Intimate Space it ranges out to one foot and
involves high probability of touching.

Types of space
Proxemics defines three different types of space:

Fixed-feature space
This comprises things that are immobile, such as walls and
territorial boundaries.

Semi fixed-feature space
This comprises movable objects, like mobile furniture, while fixed-
furniture is a fixed-feature.

Informal space
This comprises the individual space around the body, travels
around with it, determining the personal distance among people.

Proxemics also classifies
spaces as either:

Sociofugal spaces that
are conductive

Sociopetal spaces
encourage solidarity