The Selection and Evaluation of Interpersonal Distances as a Function of Linguistic Styles

Abstract

Summary In the first of two experiments on interpersonal distance, 40 male and female white American college students listened to a recording of a speaker using four linguistic styles, and for each style placed themselves physically from a silhouette representing the speaker: Results generally supported the hypothesis that Ss would select distances within the ranges of Hall's proxemic model, though intimate and public distances were less extreme than expected (p < .001). A second experiment with 24 similar Ss utilized the same recording with Ss placing checkmarks on a scaled distance form and completing bipolar adjective ratings for each interaction represented. Results strongly corroborated proxemic predictions (p < .001); regressions performed on adjective evaluations indicated Hall's functional descriptions for each distance are also the inferences Ss are likely to draw from the interactions. The findings are discussed in terms of the predictive power of the proxemic model and the need for its inclusio...