Personal Space across Cultures
Henrik Høgh‐Olesen · The International Encyclopedia of Intercultural Communication · 2017
Abstract This entry provides an introduction to the research related to the concept of personal space (PS) and the field of human spatial behavior. PS is defined as an emotionally tinged integrity zone surrounding the body and functioning as a portable territory, serving both protective and communicative functions. The integrity zone has no fixed size but varies according to variables such as age, gender, personality, relation, and culture. The key theoretical traditions and models are presented and the field's methodological techniques and measurements are discussed. Proxemics —cultural differences—constitutes one of the main areas of interest, dividing cultures into either contact or low‐contact cultures. Examples of proxetics —human spatial behavior studied in terms of universal spacing patterns and cultural similarities—are presented. Finally, future directions for the study of PS in the digital age are outlined.