Lecture 17Lecture 17

•• ProxemicsProxemics

•• Interpersonal distance (or IPD)Interpersonal distance (or IPD)

•• Effects of gender and culture Effects of gender and culture

•• Effects of gender identity Effects of gender identity

•• Violations of personal space Violations of personal space

•• Effects of gender and gazeEffects of gender and gaze

•• Neural regulation of IPD Neural regulation of IPD

•• Another role for the amygdala Another role for the amygdala

Social SpacingSocial Spacing

ProxemicsProxemics

The study of theThe study of thethe spatial separation individualsthe spatial separation individualsnaturally maintain in social andnaturally maintain in social and

interpersonal situations, and howinterpersonal situations, and howthis separation relates to variousthis separation relates to variousenvironmental, personal, social,environmental, personal, social,

and cultural factorsand cultural factors

A definition

ProxemicsProxemics

The Zones of Personal Space

IPD and Gender/CultureIPD and Gender/Culture

Sussman (1982)

Proxemic theory emphasizes cultural uses of interpersonal distance(or IPD) to regulate intimacy via sensory exposure. However,research has not considered whether gender and language may alsoplay a role in IPD. This study assessed interpersonal distancebetween seated conversants from each of three cultures varying inpurported contact norms. Thirty-five Japanese, 31 Venezuelan foreignstudents (assigned to speak either their native language or English),and 39 Americans had a 5-minute conversation on a common topicwith a same-sex, same-nationality confederate. We found: (a) Whenspeaking their native languages, Japanese will sit farther apart thanVenezuelans, with Americans at an intermediate distance; (b)females will sit closer than males; and (c) foreign subjects, whenspeaking English, will more closely approximate Americanconversational distance than when speaking their native languages.

How do they affect IPD?

Sussman (1982)

Plotted is IPD ofconversants, as afunction of male(left) vs. female

(right) dyads, andJapanese (circles),

American (triangles)and Venezualan(squares) dyads

IPD and Gender/CultureIPD and Gender/Culture

How do they affect IPD?

Sussman (1982)

Plotted is IPD ofconversants, as a

function of Japanese(circles), andVenezualan

(squares) dyads,and whether the

dyads werespeaking their

native langauge(left) vs. english

(right).

IPD and Gender/CultureIPD and Gender/Culture

How do they affect IPD?

An important distinction between sex and identity

In considering the effect of gender on interpersonaldistance, we argue for an important distinction tobe made between biological sex vs. gender identity.In this study, we found that gender identityaccounts for more of the variation in IPD than theconventionally reported gender variable, sex. Ourfindings suggest that a more sophisticatedconceptualization of the impact of gender on IPD iswarranted than can be accounted for by biologicalsex differences alone.

Uzzell (2006)

Gender Identity and IPDGender Identity and IPD

Uzzell (2006)

Gender Identity and IPDGender Identity and IPD

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

Masculine Neutral Feminine

MaleFemale

Intr

erp

ers

on

al

dis

tan

ce (

In)

Gender identity

IPD of conversantsvaried more as a

function of genderidentity than of actual

sex of participants

Violations of Personal SpaceViolations of Personal Space

From Borat

Bailenson (2003)

Maintaining Interpersonal DistanceMaintaining Interpersonal Distance

walk to the front or back of the virtual human

Your startingposition

Shown is top down viewof actual room you walkin, with location of thevirtual human you needto walk towards/around

Virtualhuman

Bailenson (2003)

Maintaining Interpersonal DistanceMaintaining Interpersonal Distance

We keep greaterinterpersonaldistance when

facing vs. behinda person

Distancefrom back

of “human”

Your walkingpaths

walk to the front or back of the virtual human

Distance fromfront of

“human”

Bailenson (2003)

Maintaining Interpersonal DistanceMaintaining Interpersonal Distance

Gender and Gaze manipulated

Bailenson (2003)

Maintaining Interpersonal DistanceMaintaining Interpersonal Distance

Gender, Gaze, and stepping aside

Avoidancemagnitude: how

much do you moveover to let the

“avatar” or “agent”pass, and is thatdistance affected

by the A/A’sgender and gaze?!

An “avatar” or“agent”, whostarts to walktowards you

Your startingpoint

Maintaining Interpersonal DistanceMaintaining Interpersonal Distance

Bailenson (2003)

Gender, Gaze, and stepping aside

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Females Males Females Males

GazeNo Gaze

Avo

idan

ce m

ag

nit

ud

e (

CM

)

MaleVirtual Human

FemaleVirtual Human

Direct gaze from virtualmales increased the

avoidance magnitude infemale participants. In

contrast, direct gazefrom female virtualhumans decreased

avoidance magnitude inmales

Neural Regulation of IPDNeural Regulation of IPD

Another role for the amygdala

Adolphs (2009)

Neural Regulation of IPDNeural Regulation of IPD

Adolphs (2009)

Neural Regulation of IPDNeural Regulation of IPD

Adolphs (2009)

Synopsis of patient

Neural Regulation of IPDNeural Regulation of IPD

Adolphs (2009)

“normal” participants wereplaced in an fMRI scanner,and an experimenter was

either standing close next tothem, or on the far side of

the scanner room. Amygdalaactivation increased for the“close” condition (plotted is

amydala activation in “close”condition minus “far

condition)

Right Amygdala

Act

ivati

on

clo

se -

far

Amygdala response in “normals”