National Preferred Interpersonal Distance Curbs the Spread of COVID-19: A Cross-Country Analysis.

Yunus Gokmen,İsmail Tokmak,Haluk Erdem,Ufuk Turen

doi:10.1017/dmp.2020.295

Abstract

National interpersonal distance preference is considered a cultural characteristic. Interpersonal distance is critical for the spread dynamics of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). COVID-19's spread trend shows various characteristics in different countries. We believe that 1 of the factors influencing this variation could be national interpersonal distance preference. We used regression analysis based on data of national interpersonal distance preferences (social, personal, and intimate) presented by Sorokowska et al. and COVID-19 rate of spread data for 40 different countries that were calculated using Our World in Data's data. National interpersonal distance preferences, with its 3 dimensions, significantly influence the rate of spread of COVID-19 in countries. Understanding the relation between national interpersonal distance preference and spread of COVID-19 might be very useful information in decision-making processes of individuals, societies, and governments to develop culturally well-suited counter-pandemic policies, strategies, and procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic or any epidemic or pandemic threats in the future, instead of standard fit-to-all strategies.

Highlights

AND HYPOTHESES Interpersonal Distance Proxemic Theory’s interpersonal distance concept,[6] which is seen as an essential feature of bilateral relations between individuals[9] is considered an important form of nonverbal communication.[10]
The disease caused by the novel coronavirus, which is believed to have started in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 and distinguished as a “pandemic” by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020, is called novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
There are still many unknowns regarding COVID-19 and ways to fight it, we know some of its transmission dynamics between humans and other indirect routes

Summary

Introduction

AND HYPOTHESES Interpersonal Distance Proxemic Theory’s interpersonal distance concept,[6] which is seen as an essential feature of bilateral relations between individuals[9] is considered an important form of nonverbal communication.[10]. As a follower of Simmel, Bogardus[21] proposes that individuals focus on their feelings toward each other, and defined social distance as a function of the degree of mutual sympathetic understanding, and establishes a scale of “social distance” beginning with the level of “someone to marry” and ending with “someone to exile from the country.” Apart from this view, Hall’s6 Proxemic Theory uses the term “interpersonal distance” and posits that it is a physical distance kept as personal breathing space, like an invisible bubble, that surrounds an individual representing an imaginary barrier to regulate intimacy with others by controlling the proximity of visual, tactile, auditory, and olfactory stimulation. The Proxemic Theory categorizes interpersonal distance in 4 intervals: (1) Intimate distance (0 in. - 18 in.); all senses are active and there is love, family, or close friend relationships in between. (2) Personal distance (1.5 ft - 4 ft); is the minimum comfortable distance between nontouching individuals, and this zone constitutes a small protective space

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