Interpersonal Proximity and Impression Formation: A Partial Examination of Hall's Proxemic Model

Summary

Interpersonal proximity was examined as a cue in impression formation by varying factorially four interpersonal distances (2', 3 1/4', 5 1/2', 9 1/2'), sex of S (48 male and 48 female American college students), and sex of C (three male and three female students). Interpersonal proximity in the interview situation did not directly affect Ss' impressions of the Cs as measured by the Gough and Heilbrun Adjective Check List and Schutz's FIRO-B test. Although the four distances operationalized two of the interpersonal distance zones in Hall's normative model of human spatial behavior, Ss did not report the expected differences in the experiences of these two zones. The implications of the present findings for the limited role of interpersonal proximity as a cue in impression formation and for Hall's model are discussed.