Proxemics is... Proxemics and spatial conditions of communication

Man has always been and remains a social being, and it is absolutely impossible to live in this world without communication with other people around him (we do not consider individual cases of asceticism and “renunciation of the world,” which are the exception rather than the norm). However, each of us has a very special and carefully guarded personal physical space. Depending on the comfort of the relationship, we can increase it with some people and decrease it with others.

Spatial relationships between people are a topic that has been of interest to psychologists around the world for a very long time. A separate area of ​​psychological science, proxemics, is even devoted to the study of these relationships. In this article we will tell you what it is, what it studies in the context of psychology, what features it has, and how knowledge about it is useful for any of us.

Proxemics. General characteristics of the industry

In the 50s there lived a fairly famous anthropologist named Edward Hall. He studied the interaction of a person’s personal space with the surrounding social environment. The scientist put forward the theory that each person organizes his personal space, just as he organizes micro-subjective space, the structure of his home, and the urban environment. In other words, our personal directly affects the public. Studying this issue has allowed us to reach a new level of understanding of relationships between people. Thus, proxemics is a branch of social psychology that studies the temporal and symbolic system of communication between people. Science deduces the principles and patterns of remote nonverbal communication.

Crowding

The concept of “crowding” directly relates to proxemics. The fact is that such a pretentious word defines the lack of space from the point of view of the person himself. This concept can characterize a situation when a person believes that too many people are crowded around him.

The subjectivity of what is happening is emphasized, because one person can feel normal among hundreds of people, while another literally panics when five people approach him closely. This term usually refers not to the lack of space itself, but to the stress that a person may experience.

Proxemics and communication ethics

Of course, the ethical side of relationships between people is directly related to psychology. However, some scientists directly equate proxemics with communication ethics, which in no case should be done. These two sciences have something in common, but in general they are fundamentally different. Communication ethics allows us to understand the cultural side of communication, which ensures deep mutual understanding between interlocutors. The task of proxemics is somewhat different. She is engaged in a deep study of the very process of nonverbal communication, taking as a basis the distance of the interlocutors from each other. Thanks to the knowledge gained in the process of developing ethical and proxemic theories, people have invented the real art of communication.

Individual characteristics

Although the concept of proxemics implies a certain distance, which is expressed in specific numbers, these indicators can be considered more conventional than a specific guideline in the communication process. If you observe several people selectively, it will be noticeable that one is able to easily let other interlocutors approach him, while the other keeps everyone at a distance, although the topic of conversation and the status of the interlocutors are the same in both situations. This is due to the characteristics of each individual; This is influenced by others, family, upbringing and other factors.

Communication between people is rarely reflected in such indicators as nationality and race, as well as the cultural characteristics of the interlocutor. Even hostility between people is more often expressed through verbal communication and gestures than by distance between interlocutors.

The role of personal and intersubjective space in communication

The foundation of all social psychology is the distance between subjects of communication. Taking into account the ethical side discussed above, all people are subject to a single system of interpersonal contact. This fundamental theory was also put forward by Edward Hall. The scientist suggested that, regardless of the cultural characteristics of a person of a particular nation, everyone has his own personal territory, which he determines for himself. It follows that the distance between interlocutors is the most important factor influencing the communication process. According to the scientist himself, the distance of subjects is most important during the perceptual stage, when the interlocutors are just beginning to understand each other. As we see, proxemics studies distance in the process of interpersonal communication.

What it is?

The issue of spatial distance between people was studied back in the fifties of the twentieth century. Edward Hall suggested that the principle of communication with people depends on how close a person allows himself to be approached.

Proxemics is one of the methods of nonverbal communication. Thus, a person expresses his predisposition to close communication with certain individuals through the distance between them.

In other words, proxemics is the spatial distance between people, which is a generally accepted indicator for a certain contact. In different situations, from an interview to a date, two people try to adhere to certain rules. One of them is the distance between interlocutors. In this regard, they distinguish between intimate, personal, social, and public distances.

Main intersubjective zones

Today in social psychology there are personality zones that are studied by proxemics.

This is a list of distances according to which people establish interpersonal contact:

1) Intimate - characteristic only of relatives or very close people who do not want to involve others in their conversation (0 - 0.5m).

2) Personal – this distance is maintained by all people in everyday life (0.5 – 1.2 m).

3) Social – communication area for formal and social meetings (1.2 – 3.66 m).

4) Public – this distance is chosen during public events.

Features of crowding

When studying crowding, we took into account not only the significance of space for a particular person, but also the type of interaction between people. Alternatively, a situation may occur between strangers when a person looks threatening or when an accidental collision occurs. Although a person experiences stress, it will be of different types. In the first case it will be fear, and in the second it will be more likely indignation. And the likelihood of a negative impact on the human psyche will be much greater in the first case.

intimate distance

The distance between people, taking into account intimate distance, is no more than 45 centimeters. This allows you to share personal thoughts and opinions without fear of being heard by other people. When people communicate in intimate areas, words don't really matter. The most important role is played by non-verbal factors: gaze, movements, touch.

The effect of the intimate zone is most clearly visible between spouses.

People who are dissatisfied with their marriage will always be at a distance that is significantly greater than 0.5 meters. An absolutely opposite picture can be seen between happy couples.

It should be noted that the boundaries of the intimate zone may differ for each person. For example, people who are prone to using brute force create for themselves an intimate zone of a larger radius than that of other people. This situation arises due to the constant readiness of rude and cruel people for danger.

Chapter 9. Proxemics

Proxemics studies the spatial conditions of communication—the location of interlocutors at the moment of their contact. One of the first to study the spatial structure of communication was the American anthropologist Edward Hall, who coined the term “proxemics,” the literal translation of which means “proximity.” Proxemic characteristics include the location of partners in space at the moment of communication and the distance between them. The advantage of certain spatial forms of organizing communication (both for two partners and for a large audience) has been experimentally proven. There is a large amount of information that animals, birds and fish designate their habitat and protect it, but only relatively recently it was discovered that humans also have their own protected zones and territories.

Like many mechanisms of human behavior, respect for space was initially dictated by biological expediency. Man acquired social skills only in the last stages of his evolution. To this day, its behavior has preserved features dictated by ancient instincts, one of which is territorial. There is no doubt that the proxemic characteristics of communication are directly influenced by cultural and national factors, but the general patterns remain the same. E. Hall described the norms of approaching a person to a person - distances characteristic of European and American culture. These standards are determined by four distances.

In particular, intimate, personal, social and public distances are distinguished:

• intimate
  distance (from 0 to 45 cm) - communication between the closest people. The intimate area is the most important. It is this zone that a person protects as if it were his property.
• personal
  (from 46 to 120 cm) - communication with familiar people. The personal zone is the distance that usually separates us when we are at official receptions and friendly parties.
• social
  (from 120 to 400 cm) - preferable when communicating with strangers and in official communication. The social zone is the distance at which we keep from people we do not know very well.
• public
  (more than 400 cm) - when speaking in front of various audiences. Public zone is the distance that is maintained when we address a large group of people.

1. Intimate distance.

It (like all others) has two intervals: “close” and “far”. Close interval - direct contact; distant - distance from 15 to 45 cm. Beyond this distance there seems to be an area reserved for the exchange of intimate messages in body language (mutual touching, eye contact, etc.).

In this regard, observations of married couples by family therapy specialist D. Russell Crane are not without interest. He argues that emotional intimacy between spouses can be measured in meters and centimeters. The distance that married couples who are dissatisfied with their marriage choose to communicate is approximately 30% greater than the distance between happy spouses. On average, happy partners stand at a distance of 28.5 cm from each other, and unhappy ones at a distance of 37 cm, but if for the former this is the distance of emotional closeness, then for the latter it is an insurmountable gap. Thus, it is quite easy to establish what level of communication your potential partner wants to adhere to. It is enough to intentionally reduce personal distance, and the other person will unconsciously make a move to establish the distance that he currently finds acceptable. For example, if you move closer (lean) towards your interlocutor or interlocutor, reducing the distance to the level of intimate communication, and he or she is in no hurry to move away, then this, in all likelihood, indicates a readiness for closer contact. However, it must be remembered that overuse of this diagnostic technique risks the fact that your approach may be perceived as aggression or familiarity, or perhaps as shameless flirtation.

In general, we do not mind the occupation of our intimate area only in combination with love, reward and praise. Managers can also strengthen their superior claims through spatial harassment of their subordinates.

According to the German psychologist Khorog Rückle, when violating the boundaries of territory, especially the intimate space of a person, the following reactions should be kept in mind: restless fidgeting, signaling a desire to leave; crossing your legs over your legs, away from the invader - turning to the side and preparing to escape; finger tapping (internal alarm signal); resting on your hands with the intention of getting up, which signals the desire to get up and move away; closing the eyes: “I don’t want to see you come so close to me”; lowering the chin to the chest: “I obey, yes, I’m scared, and I’m protecting my neck, leave me alone”; raising your shoulders to cover your neck: “I regard your intrusion as an attack and am protecting my neck”; grabbing objects, especially pencils, which then, in most cases, turn the sharpened end towards the “occupier”: “I control myself or arm myself to protect myself from you.” Getting up: “I don’t allow myself to be treated like this, I draw my conclusions and leave.”

When a woman invades a man’s intimate zone, the outrage will not be as strong as when a man invades a woman’s intimate zone.

2. Personal distance.

Near spacing: 45-75 cm, far: 75-120 cm. How close people stand to each other signals their relationship, or how they feel about each other. The wife can stand quietly within her husband's intimate private zone. For another woman, being in it is a completely different matter.

In this space, normal communication processes occurring between people should be realized. However, people who focus on internal experiences tend to maintain greater distance than extroverts. If a person does not notice the personal zone and approaches the intimate zone too quickly or even invades its boundaries, then he thereby demonstrates his lack of the necessary tact and correct assessment of the personality of another person. He literally appears intrusive and makes a depressing impression. In fact, protecting personal areas is one of the main principles of wordless communication.

But personal distance is not the same for people brought up in similar conditions. Thus, children and old people tend to be closer to their partner; teenagers and middle-aged people prefer distant distances. In addition, we usually try to be at a greater distance from those whose position or power is higher than ours, while people of equal status communicate at a close distance.

An important role in regulating personal distance is played by the gender and height of interlocutors. The taller a man is, the more he tends to get closer to his interlocutor, and, conversely, the shorter his height, the greater the distance he prefers to stay. In women, the opposite dependence is observed. The explanation for this is that an ordinary “cultural norm” has developed in society - a man should be large, and a woman, on the contrary, should be miniature. And we unconsciously strive to adjust our lives to this conventional norm. A tall man is pleased to stand next to a short interlocutor, while a tall woman, on the contrary, tends to move further away in order to hide her “flaw.”

American psychologist Philip Zimbardo noticed that people who fear personal contacts with others literally strive to protect themselves. When sitting down in the dining room on empty seats, they move the neighboring chairs further away or try to clutter them with some personal belongings in order to prevent the approach of a possible interlocutor. This strategy occurs quite often, and any of us can observe it in a similar situation. Thus, the desire to maintain a respectful distance is a sure sign of insufficient self-confidence and increased anxiety. And vice versa - a calm, self-confident person is less concerned about the inviolability of “their borders.” An assertive, aggressive person is inclined to physically expand his boundaries in the literal sense: this is evidenced, for example, by elongated or widely spaced elbows, legs, sweeping gestures touching surrounding objects and people.

A number of experiments have found that people who are prone to using brute force have a wider intimate sphere, which can be twice as large as that of other people. This explains why they begin to sense an approaching threat much earlier and, accordingly, resort to protective measures much earlier.

3. Social distance.

Close spacing: 120-210 cm People working together tend to use close social distance. Far interval - from 210 to 350 cm. This is the distance that people stand when someone tells them: “Stand so I can look at you.”

We deal with social distancing mainly in the sphere of business relationships. Involuntarily, the dimensions of this distance are established when there is a dining table or a desk between the interlocutors. At such a distance from each other, all conversations take place, during which there is no attempt to establish close relationships, and the conversation is more about this or that matter than about a person. At the same distance, conversations take place about problems that are not of immediate concern and are considered abstractly, “from the outside.”

4. Public distance.

Close interval: 350-750 cm. Far interval: more than 750 cm. This is exactly the distance at which speakers are usually located from their listeners. The boundaries of a public or common area allow people to be observed without any embarrassment, especially those who expose themselves. This is also possible because the person being watched from such a distance can be sure that such observation will not develop into an attack. The attacker would have to cover quite a long distance first. In addition, various details and little things that they want to hide from others cannot be seen at such a distance. The gaze of an observer at a great distance does not provoke the appearance of any defense mechanisms or defensive body language.

It should be borne in mind that distances differ markedly among different nations. American researcher E. Hall conducted an interesting experiment. In a business conversation, he pitted unfamiliar indigenous citizens of his country against typical representatives of Latin American countries. Based on the results of the conversation, the interlocutors’ perceptions of each other were clarified. Hall found that during the conversation, Latinos involuntarily sought to get closer to their partner, while US citizens kept moving away. Subsequently, analyzing his first impression of a new acquaintance, the North American thought about the Latino: how intrusive, unceremonious, and pretending to establish close relationships. And the representative of the Latin American country also sincerely believed that the Yankees were arrogant, indifferent, and too official. In fact, differences in traditional zonal norms had an effect. The distance of business communication customary in the United States seems prohibitively large to Latin Americans, since from childhood they have learned the norm accepted in their countries to approach the interlocutor almost closely.

In 1973, under the leadership of A.A. Leontiev carried out a special study of proxemic zones in a Russian-speaking group. It gave the following results. Personal distance (casual conversation in a home environment) for those sitting is on average 120 cm. This distance noticeably decreases in communication between young women (55-100 cm interval) and increases between young and older women (125-230 cm), and between men all ages are the same, approximately 70-156 cm.

An attempt to determine social distance did not lead to any convincing result, as a huge scatter was discovered (from 30 to 840 cm). It was only recorded that once the accepted distance between those communicating does not change in the future. In general, it seems that in the Russian community the system of zones itself is not so stable and depends more on various not spatial, but situational factors.

The choice of distance depends on the relationship between people (as a rule, people stand closer to those with whom they sympathize) and on the individual characteristics of the person (for example, introverts do not tolerate too close a distance). It is important that the distance also changes depending on external situational factors, for example, on the size of the room. All this demonstrates the importance and power of distance and proves that, as with other aspects of body language, everyone can benefit from becoming more sensitive to the nuances of the position we occupy in relation to the interlocutor.

Crowding of people at concerts, in transport and in elevators leads to inevitable invasion of each other's intimate areas. There are a number of rules for behavior in crowded conditions

of people. In practice, people do not always follow them, but nevertheless they should be remembered:

1. it is not advisable to talk, even with friends;
2. It is not recommended to look directly at others;
3. the face must be impartial - no display of emotions;
4. if you have a book or newspaper in your hands, then you should be completely immersed in reading;
5. the more crowded the vehicle or room, the more restrained your movements should be;
6. In the elevator, you should only look at the floor indicator.

Proxemic behavior includes not only distance, but also the mutual orientation of people in space. Friends are nearby, participants in a business conversation are across the corner of the table, competitors are across the table. has a significant impact on the nature and productivity of communication .

The options for arranging conversation participants in a work office with a standard rectangular table are as follows:

Item name	Schematic illustration	Comments
1.Corner location	Characteristic for casual, friendly conversation
2.Position of business interaction	Promotes productive discussion and development of common solutions
3.Competing position	Creates an atmosphere of competition or indicates a relationship of official subordination
4.Independent position	Characteristic of people who do not want to communicate

The creation of a psychological atmosphere for business communication is significantly influenced not only by the location of the interlocutors at the table, but also by the shape of the tables themselves. Square tables are good for holding a short business conversation between equal partners. Rectangular tables are often used to emphasize chain of command. In this case, the person with the highest status is usually located at the head of the table, facing the front door. It has been found that cooperative relationships are more established with those people who sit next to each other at the table. And opposition is easier to organize with the person sitting opposite. Therefore, at a meeting, employees who aspire to a higher position are seated closer to the manager. A round (or oval) table creates an atmosphere of informality and ease, and it is best to hold conversations with people of the same social status. The status of an office visitor is reduced if there is a large long table between him and the boss, or if the manager is in a huge chair with a high back. A person experiences a lot of tension if he sits with his back to a door, window, or open space, so it is advisable to seat the guest with his back to the wall.

Personal zone

At such a distance, more communications take place in everyday life. This is a zone of normal relationships between people. A close woman, for example, a wife, may well violate the boundaries of this zone. The same actions on the part of an outsider will look, to put it mildly, unusual. Respecting the personal boundaries of communication indicates the presence of tact in a person. The longer the interlocutors are in the personal zone, the more attached they become to each other.

This distance is a key step towards achieving the best intimate contact. Clear and thoughtful actions in the personal zone will ensure long-term and mutually beneficial cooperation between participants in communication.

Facial expressions as a means of communication.

Facial expressions, or facial expressions, are the most important aspect of nonverbal communication.

The importance of facial expressions is such that in its absence (for example, as a result of illness), communication is impossible. Why is the face so important? First of all, because it is the main channel for transmitting human emotions

Contraction of the facial muscles changes facial expression and signals a person’s condition. Emotional manifestations consist of spontaneous and voluntary facial reactions.

Emotions often have to be masked, that is, they have to demonstrate the opposite. For example, we often mask emotions such as jealousy or disappointment. Some people are better at controlling their facial expressions, others are worse. However, given the circumstances, we all have to manage our facial expressions quite often.

Despite the fact that each person is an experienced interpreter of the facial reactions of other people, his conclusions depend on many subjective reasons. Someone may not notice the obvious expression on their partner’s face for a long time, trying to protect themselves from hurtful information; another, on the contrary, sees only those signs that confirm his attitude and forecast regarding the situation. The third one notices only those emotions that are characteristic of himself, without perceiving what is alien to him.

Eye contact is also a substructure of kinesics, primarily performing the function of regulating conversation.

Eye contact can also indicate emotional relationships between partners. A long look can be a sign of falling in love. The fact is that direct eye contact can be compared to touch; it psychologically shortens the distance between people. Sometimes such a look may be inappropriate and cause anxiety, fear, or irritation in the person being looked at. Direct gaze “without consent” is often perceived as a threat, a desire for dominance. If you are looking at a person of the opposite sex, then a long look into the eyes can be understood as an intimate proposal.

The lack of direct gaze is also dangerous - a person, especially if he is in a dependent position, may have the impression that communicating with him is a burden, that he is not interesting.

Social and community distancing

Despite the importance of the personal and intimate zone, their study is not the basis that proxemics studies. This is due to the relative one-sidedness of the distances presented above. They are easy to understand, and even easier to identify patterns. More interesting are the social and public areas. They are used in the process of business and public communication. Over the years, people have studied these two distances to find an effective way to control the masses. People who have excellent control over public and social distances are always good speakers.

Personal zones in different cultures

In his research, Edward Hall, as befits a professional cultural scientist, paid great attention to intercultural differences and analyzed various cultures.
In the course of studying the spatial perception of representatives of different nations, Hall established several features that are worth paying attention to for anyone interested in the topic of proxemics in general and the topic of improving relationships with others in particular . Here are a few of Hall’s observations:

representatives of Western culture focus not on the space between objects, but on the objects themselves; The Japanese are more receptive to in-between spaces, i.e. to the intervals between people and objects; North Americans and Europeans prefer to furnish rooms along the walls and separate them with baseboards and edgings; The Chinese and Japanese love sliding walls because

this allows them to use the same spaces for different purposes; Arabs, when touching their interlocutor, strive to express sympathy, while the Japanese perceive such gestures negatively; residents of many Arab countries, the Mediterranean and Latin America have smaller spatial bubble sizes than residents of Western Europe, Australia and North America; in Brazil it is quite common to talk in a personal and intimate area, which causes considerable discomfort, for example, to visiting Americans or Western Europeans; The social distance of Russians is less than that of Americans, but greater than that of Latin Americans.

National characteristics have a huge impact on people's communication, and they should always be taken into account. It is precisely because of ignorance of the intricacies of spatial perception that misunderstandings and conflicts can often occur between people.

The same Japanese person, who was touched by an Arab while expressing good attitude, will be discouraged by his “unceremoniousness,” and the Arab will perceive the Japanese’s distance as arrogance. A Russian or Brazilian can put an American in an awkward position by constantly closing the distance, because this is how he is used to communicating in his country, and an American will seem to a Russian or Brazilian to be a suspicious type who avoids people, but in the USA it is simply customary to be located at a greater distance from a communication partner .

There are many such examples, and they all indicate that we must respect other people’s spatial norms, because the same communication means can be perceived differently even by people in the same country, not to mention different cultures.

Proxemics can be a wonderful tool and means of communication, and by and large, anyone can easily acquire knowledge of spatial relationships. You just need to set a goal, communicate wisely and always remember that everyone deserves to be treated with respect.

We wish you good luck in improving your communication skills, and finally, we offer some communication tips from psychologist Evgeniy Zakharov.

How does the violation of these distances affect a person?

Violation of spatial boundaries occurs quite often , for example, in public transport or an elevator, when strangers are forced to stand very close and sometimes touch each other.

At the same time the reaction is almost always the same ; people tend to express a minimum of emotions and avoid eye contact.

In an elevator, people look at the floor indicator, and in public transport, at the windows, while everyone makes a minimum of movements.

This is due to the fact that even a forced violation by another person of the permissible boundaries of communication leads to discomfort. Invasion of personal space is unconsciously perceived as a threat.

The heart rate and blood pressure increase, blood rushes to the head, and the body instinctively prepares to protect itself from an intruder of personal territory.

Incorrect violation of distance during communication can lead to rejection by the interlocutor . If you allow yourself to touch a new acquaintance a few minutes after meeting him, he may view this as an invasion of his personal space and henceforth try to avoid you.

As a result, this can hinder the building of trusting relationships not only in the business sphere, but also in the personal sphere.

Types of distances during communication

Edward Hall identified four types of distances that interlocutors maintain in the communication process: intimate, personal, social and public distance. Let's look at each of them in more detail.

intimate distance

A person maintains an intimate distance only when communicating with the closest people - family members, lovers. Close friends also often use intimate distance when communicating. It ranges from 15 to 50 cm. The closer the relationship between the interlocutors, the shorter their distance. For example, couples in love often strive to reduce their distance to a minimum.

Psychologists have noticed that the size of intimate distance varies among representatives of different countries. This is due to the peculiarities of the culture and traditions of each nation.

While in the intimate area, the interlocutors have the opportunity to touch each other. Insufficiently sociable people try to expand their intimate distance, especially when communicating with unfamiliar people. As a rule, they avoid crowds and public transport, where passengers are forced to literally hug each other.

Individuals prone to aggression unconsciously strive to increase their intimate distance. To do this, they can sit lounging on a chair, wave their arms during a conversation, and spread their legs wide apart. Penetration of another person into their intimate area often causes aggression and discontent.

People who like each other try to keep a close distance. If a person dislikes his interlocutor, he unconsciously strives to move further away from him. Loving spouses have a very short intimate distance. Married couples who are unhappy with their relationship, on the contrary, increase their intimate area.

Personal distance

The personal zone is used in friendly and business communication. Its distance ranges from 50 to 120 cm. Personal distance can also be divided into near and far. The near one is intended for communication with friends and relatives, and the far one is for colleagues and business partners.

National characteristics also influence the size of personal distance. For example, in Russia it is customary to be much closer to the interlocutor than in the USA. Americans prefer to communicate with each other at a greater distance, and Russians may perceive this state of affairs as disrespect or arrogance. Therefore, people who come to a foreign country often experience discomfort.

In addition to national characteristics, personal distance is also influenced by a person’s individual characteristics. For example, extroverts, optimists, sociable and self-confident people try to stay close to their interlocutor. But introverts, people who have a negative worldview, are unsure of themselves and suffer from complexes, on the contrary, strive to increase the distance between themselves and their interlocutor.

Age factors also influence personal distance. Children and older people like to be close, while young people and middle-aged people tend to sit further away from their interlocutor. This is explained by the degree of self-confidence and personal security.

Social distance

The distance intended for communication with unfamiliar and unfamiliar people, as well as business partners with whom you do not meet very often, is called social distance. Its size is 120–350 cm. It is at this distance that people who are unfamiliar with each other usually stay.

Social distance allows you to look away from your interlocutor if you don’t want to communicate with him, and thereby show him your disinterest in the subject of the conversation.

Public distance

This distance is intended for speaking in front of an audience. Its size ranges from 350 to 750 cm. It is at this distance that the person speaking in front of the group is usually located. In small rooms, the lecturer, speaker or artist is located at a closer distance to the audience, and in large halls - at a further distance. Public distance is not intended for dating, but only for performances.

Kinesthetic means of communication.

Kinesics - movements that are reflected using the subject’s optical system: gestures, postures, facial expressions, appearance, handwriting, etc.

Kinesics includes movements that are reflected using the subject’s optical system, that is, a visually perceived range of movements that perform an expressive-regulatory function in communication.

The kinesic structure performs the function of supplementing or replacing speech messages, and therefore is endowed with a unique priority in creating the image of a partner and the entire communication situation. The study of kinesics is a huge area of ​​research in psychology, communication theory, and cultural studies. The most studied elements of the kinesic structure of nonverbal behavior to date can be considered facial expressions, gestures, postures, and glances.

Spatial arrangement of interlocutors

Proxemics studies not only the distance at which interlocutors stand, but also the features of their orientation in space in relation to each other. Business training specialists know that the success of business negotiations largely depends on the atmosphere that reigns in the office. Therefore, they recommend that managers seat business partners in such a way that they are psychologically prepared for constructive communication.

Very often, during business or friendly communication, interlocutors sit at the table. Based on this, psychologists identify four types of positions that communication participants can occupy.

• Corner location. In this case, the interlocutors are placed diagonally, separated by the corner of the table. This is usually how friends, relatives and good friends communicate. In this position, the interlocutor is clearly visible, and you can freely observe his gestures and pantomimes. The corner of the table acts as a small dividing barrier, necessary to maintain the psychological comfort of the individual. In a corner location, there is no table division within the area.
• Business communication position. In this case, the interlocutors are located side by side, on one side of the table. This arrangement is usually occupied by people who do collaborative work. This position makes it very convenient to review documents together.
• Competitive-defensive position. In this case, the interlocutors sit opposite each other on opposite sides of the table. This position is taken by opponents, each of whom has their own view of the problem under discussion. It is this arrangement of partners that can often be seen in business negotiations. The interlocutors, who are in a competitive and defensive position, are separated by a table, and this does not contribute to creating an atmosphere of confidential, relaxed conversation. If partners want to find a solution to a problem that will suit both parties, it is advisable for them to take a different position, for example a corner position.
• Independent position. In this case, people are located on opposite sides of the table away from each other, and if they are sitting on a bench, they try to move away. This arrangement indicates that they are not interested in communicating with each other. You can see people sitting this way in a library reading room, in a cafe or on a park bench.

It is not without reason that the heads of many companies try to conduct business negotiations not at a rectangular table, but at a round table. A table without corners subconsciously sets partners up for a peaceful conversation. Interlocutors sitting at a round table feel in the same position, and therefore are more inclined to compromise.

To summarize, we can say that proxemics is a necessary and useful area of ​​psychology. By studying the features of spatial relationships between people, you can understand the character of any interlocutor or business partner and find an approach to him.

Spatial arrangement

The orientation of interlocutors in the communication process plays an important role. Any business coach and negotiation specialist will tell you that the atmosphere in an office or classroom (or any other room in general) most directly affects the success of communication. For it to be constructive and give positive results, you need to be able to position your interlocutors in a special way that promotes the right psychological mood.

Next we will talk about the spatial arrangement of communication participants at the table, because It is at this table that in many situations the interlocutors sit, both during business and friendly communication. Proxemics studies this issue very carefully, and experts identify four main positions occupied by participants in communication:

• Corner location. With this arrangement, the interlocutors sit diagonally; they are separated by the diagonal of the table. You can almost always notice that good acquaintances, friends or relatives sit this way when communicating. This position is good because the interlocutors can see each other and record all non-verbal manifestations of partners - gestures, facial expressions, pantomime (here it is appropriate to talk about the joint use of concepts: prokesmics-kinesics). The corners of the table play the role of a kind of dividing barrier, thanks to which psychological comfort is created for people. It is also interesting that with a corner arrangement, the table is never divided by people into “their” zones.
• Business communication position. The second type of location is more suitable for business meetings. The interlocutors occupy one side of the table, i.e. sitting next to each other. This not only allows, for example, to view documents and other materials together, but also promotes more confidential communication, which does not have a positive effect on the entire process of interaction between people. By the way, during group meetings, people often sit on one side of the table working on the same project, performing common tasks and/or sympathizing with each other.
• Competitive and defensive position. The classic arrangement is when the interlocutors take seats opposite each other on opposite sides of the table. This option is typical for opponents with opposing views on the problem under consideration, and in most cases corresponds to business negotiations. People in a competitive-defensive position are separated by a table, which makes communication formal. There is no need to talk about ease and trust here, and if you need to come to a compromise, it is better to choose a different location, for example, a corner one.
• Independent position. Another frequently encountered position. Corresponds to situations where people are not interested in communicating with each other. People simply sit at a respectful distance from each other. If it is a table, then on different edges of the table, if it is a bench, then on different edges of the bench, etc. Each of us can see people in an independent position in parks, at bus stops, in libraries or restaurants (we are, of course, talking about people who do not know each other).

Of course, in one article it is unlikely that it will be possible to consider all the interesting things offered by proxemics, but from the above we can conclude that this direction of psychological science is very useful in everyday life. By understanding the intricacies of spatial relationships, we can understand the personality traits of other people and find the right approach to each of them, as well as simplify communication and make it more productive.

If you want to understand this topic in more detail, we recommend reading books on proxemics. Among such books are:

• Edward Hall "The Silent Language";
• Julius Fast, Body Language. The ABC of Human Behavior";
• Alan Pease "Body Language";
• Yu. I. Filimonenko “Attitude to space as a function of the subconscious.”

And to conclude the article, we present some interesting data about intercultural differences among people from the perspective of proxemics. This information may also be useful to many.