Physical distancing and the perception of interpersonal distance in the COVID-19 crisis

Robin Welsch,Sven Thönes,Christoph Bernhard,Marlene Wessels,Christoph Von Castell

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-90714-5

Robin Welsch, Sven Thönes + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-90714-5

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Abstract

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been mandated to keep enlarged distances from others. We interviewed 136 German subjects over five weeks from the end of March to the end of April 2020 during the first wave of infections about their preferred interpersonal distance (IPD) before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the pandemic, subjects adapted to distance requirements and preferred a larger IPD. This enlarged IPD was judged to partially persist after the pandemic crisis. People anticipated keeping more IPD to others even if there was no longer any risk of a SARS-CoV-2 infection. We also sampled two follow-up measurements, one in August, after the first wave of infections had been flattened, and one in October 2020, at the beginning of the second wave. Here, we observed that IPD varied with the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 within Germany. Overall, our data indicated that adaptation to distance requirements might happen asymmetrically. Preferred IPD rapidly adapted in response to distance requirements, but an enlargement of IPD may partially linger after the COVID-19 pandemic-crisis. We discuss our findings in light of proxemic theory and as an indicator for socio-cultural adaptation beyond the course of the pandemic.

Highlights

Our study demonstrates that enlarged physical distancing requirements were adopted in our sample of the German general public
Subjects preferred a considerably increased peri-pandemic interpersonal distance (IPD) compared to the distance they chose before the pandemic
These enlarged IPD preferences were judged to persist to some degree post-pandemic

Summary

Introduction

We hypothesized (H1) that physical distance requirements change the social norm and increase IPD8 even after the COVID-19 pandemic. Subjects largely adopted to the physical distancing requirements and, on average, preferred a mean peri-pandemic IPD of 183 cm (SD = 43 cm). None of the subjects reported a norm smaller than 150 cm throughout our study, which indicates that all subjects were consistently aware of the physical distancing requirements posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Results

Conclusion