Non Verbal Communication

Proxemics: the Language of Space

What we are looking for.

How

do the proxemic elements of the situation determine, or impact on, the communication of the participants?

PROXEMICS Elements

TERRITORY

That to which we lay claim

PERSONAL SPACE

That which we carry with us

Direct facing, shoulder to shoulder

Angling

Seating and Spatial arrangements

TERRITORIALITY

PRIMARY

Exclusive to owner Central to daily functioning Guard against intruders Can also include possessions

Eg: Office Cubicles

TERRITORIALITY, CONT.

SECONDARY
not exclusive Held by habit and regular use Eg: The Seat in the classroom where you sit everyday

PUBLIC
available to almost anyone for temporary ownership Eg. Park benches, Streets, Bus Seats

Territoriality, Contd
Interactional territory - Temporary Space where interactants are meeting. Eg. In the corner of a room

TYPES OF INTRUSION

VIOLATION

unwarranted use

INVASION,

attempt to take over anothers territory

what we leave behind

CONTAMINATION

TERRITORIAL DEFENSE

PREVENTION

post guard boundaries hostile to mild dependent upon type

REACTION

Reactions depend on

WHO WHAT WHEN HOW WHY WHERE

REACTIONS

PHYSIOLOGICAL

increased heart rate and blood pressure

ANXIETY CUES

avoid gaze, body blocking, build barriers, nonperson orientation withdrawal or flight

INTERACTION AVOIDANCE

DECREASED TASK PERFORMANCE

lower scores on tasks, shoppers feel they do less well

PERCEIVED DISCOMFORT AND CROWDING

more uneasiness, discomfort and feeling of crowding more verbal aggressiveness, less affiliativeness caused even by the expectation of crowding

VERBAL RESPONSE

Personal Space/Interpersonal Distance

That which we carry with us The magic bubble

IMPACTING VARIABLES

AGE

Younger and older are closer in distance Tend to be closer to our own age group May be related to attractiveness Concept of learning the social norms

GENDER CULTUREcareful!!!! Contact--Arabs, Latin Americans, Southern Europeans Non-contact--N. Americans, N. Europeans, Asians, Indians and Pakistanis Latin America--middle class tends to have a greater spatial distance than lower class

TOPIC OR SUBJECT MATTER

shifts mark segments of the encounter beginning, endings, topic changes

SETTING

room size increases....

greater distance with handicapped decreases over time Anxiety increased distance High self-esteem decreases distance

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

PERSONALITY

ATTITUDINAL AND EMOTIONAL ORIENTATION unfriendly=greater distance anger=withdrawal; retaliation=closer INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP Closer allowing people seen as warmer, liking each other more, more empathic = higher level of immediacy Seeking approval=closer Status discrepancy

SPATIAL ARRANGEMENTS

Dominance/leadership

end of table middle=socio-emotional eye gaze, head position cooperative=side by side access for competition relationship + topic

Task

Arrangement is an issue of task, style of leadership and interpersonal factors

ANGLING