Perception of Crowding and Personal Space as a Function of Locus of Control, Arousal Seeking, Sex of Experimenter, and Sex of Subject

Abstract

Twelve male and female college students served as Es and individually administered the following tests to a total of 72 male and female college students: Mehrabian and Russell's scale of Arousal-Seeking Tendency (AST), the Nowicki-Strickland scale of locus of control (ANSIE), a crowding perception test (CPT), and a figure placement task measuring perceived comfortable interpersonal distance (CID). Contrary to prediction, zero correlations were obtained between AST and CPT scores and between ANSIE scores and CID distances involving strangers. Low but significant correlations between CPT and CID scores were obtained. Analysis of variance of CID scores revealed a significant interaction between sex of S and locus of control that was not easy to interpret, and significant effects of degree of acquaintance, status, and sex of an approaching peer. A significant sex of E effect indicated that distances were larger with a female than with a male E. AST scores were larger for female than for male Ss, and larger with a male E than a female one.