Social and Personal Space PDF

04. SOCIAL AND PERSONAL SPACE PSYC 13 | Social Psychology | Prof. Chosen T. Belga, RPm, RPsy GROUP 04 | Base · Estuye · Ursulum · Villafuerte | BS Psychology 3B | Bicol University College of Social Sciences and Philosophy PROXEMICS...

04. SOCIAL AND PERSONAL SPACE PSYC 13 | Social Psychology | Prof. Chosen T. Belga, RPm, RPsy GROUP 04 | Base · Estuye · Ursulum · Villafuerte | BS Psychology 3B | Bicol University College of Social Sciences and Philosophy PROXEMICS CROWDING VS. DENSITY The study of space; How people use space when they An experiential state in which the restrictive communicate with each other. Crowding aspects of limited space are perceived by It looks at how close or far apart people stand or sit the individuals exposed to them. based on their relationships, cultural backgrounds, and A physical condition involving the limitation the context of the interaction. Density of space. → Friends stand close together when talking, while → number of people per unit of space strangers keep a greater distance. Crowding is a personal, subjective reaction. It is a DISTANCE motivational state that often results in goal- directed Based on observation in social situations. behavior, to achieve some end or to relieve discomfort. It centers around a feeling of too little space. While, Density is strictly a physical quality with no inherent Intimate Mainly for non verbal communication. psychological meaning. It is merely a measure of people Distance Only intimate people (family, friends) per unit of space. (0-15 ft) Improper for public places. Personal People who are well known to us. TERRITORIALITY Distance Depends on personality and style of (1.5-3 ft) communication. A territory is a delimited space that a person or group uses and defends as an exclusive preserve. Social General gatherings and business meetings → Territorial behavior reflects the desire to possess Distance Generally interacting with someone who is and occupy portions of space and defend them (4-11 ft) not particularly well known. against intrusion by others. Territoriality involves the attempt to control space. It Public Public interaction is possible. involves the mutually exclusive use of areas and objects Distance Demands a louder voice, more formal style by persons or groups. (12 -25 ft) of language and reduced speech rate. TYPES OF TERRITORIES SOCIAL SPACE VS. PERSONAL SPACE 1. Primary Territories Personal territories where the identity of the owner is The space within social distance and salient. Social Space out of personal distance. Invasion or unpermitted entry by outsiders is a The space within intimate distance serious matter. Personal Space and personal distance. ○ A physician’s office or nurse’s stations are personal territories that are strictly and permanently off limits to patients. Crowding, Territoriality, and Privacy are interconnected concepts that significantly influence our experiences in 2. Secondary Territories shared environments. As societies become increasingly Less central, pervasive, and exclusive. urbanized and spaces more densely populated, Spaces shared with others but where people can understanding these dynamics becomes essential. establish a sense of ownership. → Home Territories. People have relatively free CROWDING access & some control over others’ use of a place. ○ Ex. Social clubs that have a restriction on who A psychological state that occurs when a person can use the place. perceives the number of people in the environment to → Interactional Territories. Any geographical locale be exceeding one’s preference. in which some type of interaction occurs among a It does not necessarily imply an undesirable or stressful group of people. situation. ○ Ex. Clusters of people at a party. 3. Public Territories ○ The appearance of Chinese miners in the white Have a temporary quality, and almost anyone has free Americans' cherished gold fields led the access and occupancy rights. Americans to arm themselves to repel invaders. Areas where the individual has freedom of access, but not necessarily of action. 2. Insulation A.k.a. free territories, public territories, temporary The placement of a barrier between the occupants of territories, and jurisdictions. a territory and potential invader. → Occupancy by Society. Places that are generally ○ Fences, hedges, signs, controlled access available without restrictions, as long as certain pathways, and guards are classic examples of rules are respected (e.g. streets, parks) preventive markers. → Free Occupancy. Even fewer restrictions and are open to almost anyone for a limited period of time 3. Linguistic Collusion (e.g. deserted beaches). A complex set of processes by which the territorial integrity of the group is reaffirmed and the intruder is Distinctions among the types of territories are based on labeled as an outsider. (1) degree of control and use by occupants and (2) ○ Hostile or questioning looks, glances, and facial relative duration of users’ claims to the space. expressions serve to warn outsiders of their intrusion. a. Primary Territories — under relatively total control of occupants for long periods of time. ○ Defending interactants will speak to one b. Secondary Territories — have a durable quality of another in a language unfamiliar to the invader. ownership, but are not wholly continuous or permanent. There is some access by others, so that PRIVACY occupancy is not totally exclusive. c. Public Territories — relatively temporary and A central regulatory process by which a person (or occupancy is public, as long as users follow some group) makes himself more or less accessible and open social rules and norms. to others. Emphasizes the idea of control—opening and closing of TERRITORIAL ENCROACHMENT the self to others and freedom of choice regarding personal accessibility. Unwarranted use of or entry into a territory. TWO ASPECTS OF PRIVACY There does not appear to be a specific Violation territory owner, only a culturally defined 1. Desired Privacy class of permissible users. Subjective statement of an ideal level of interaction ○ A man using the women’s public with others. restroom, or vice versa. → how much or how little contact is desired at some moment in time. Bypassing boundaries and interrupting someone, or taking over a territory, on 2. Achieved Privacy either a temporary or an enduring The actual degree of contact that results from Invasion basis. interaction with others. The encroachment on a specific person or group. If the desired privacy is equal to the achieved privacy, an ○ A country taking over another. optimum state of privacy exists. If achieved privacy is lower or higher than desired privacy—too much or too A territory is rendered impure with little contact—a state of imbalance exists. Contamina- respect to its definition and usage. tion ○ Spitting, urinating, or defecating on another person’s things. PROPERTIES 1. Privacy is an interpersonal boundary-control process Privacy is an interpersonal boundary-control process, TERRITORIAL ENCROACHMENT RESPONSES which paces and regulates interaction with others. 1. Turf Defense It involves a distinction between the self or group and A response necessitated when the intruder cannot others. be tolerated. 2. Privacy is a dialectic process. FOUR FUNCTIONS OF PRIVACY Privacy is a balancing act where we sometimes seek connection and, other times, want space. 1. Personal Autonomy Deals with the central core of the self and the 3. Privacy is an optimizing process important issues of self-worth, self-independence, Privacy helps us find the “just right” level of and self-identity. interaction. There is an optimal degree of desired access of the 2. Emotional Release self to others at any moment in time. Permits people to relax from social roles, to be off → Deviation from this optimum (too much or too little) stage, and to deviate from rules and customs in a interaction is unsatisfactory. protected fashion. 4. Privacy is an input and output process 3. Self- Evaluation People and groups attempt to regulate contacts Involves the integration of experiences and the coming from others and outputs they make for opportunity to plan future actions. others. We control the information or emotions we share with 4. Limited and Protected Communication others and decide how much we want to take in from Privacy provides the opportunity to be alone with others around us. another person or a small group of persons and to share confidences with them. 5. Privacy can involve different types of social units Privacy is usually an interpersonal event, involving INTERACTIONS BETWEEN CTP relationships among people. Person-to-person, person-to-group, Crowding impacts territoriality by creating a sense that group-to-person, or group-to-group social units can personal boundaries are under threat. be involved. → In crowded settings, people may respond by asserting or defending their territory more aggressively. FOUR TYPES OF PRIVACY The Sentinelese Tribe of India was known for their 1. Solitude hostility toward outsiders. When anthropologists A person is alone and free from observation by others attempted to approach the island by plane, they were and is in the most extreme condition of privacy. met with spears and arrows. This response underscores how crowding can heighten territorial behaviors, 2. Intimacy especially during invasions. Occurs when a small group—a husband and wife—separate themselves from outsiders in order to Increased crowding also affects the feeling of security. be alone. → When privacy is diminished in crowded environments, individuals may feel vulnerable and take extra 3. Anonymity measures to protect themselves. Occurs when a person is lost in a crowd; in a public During rush hours, people often guard their belongings place with others present but does not expect to be more closely. This behavior reflects an instinctual recognized. response to the risk of theft, as individuals adapt to → The person may be in the physical presence of feeling exposed and less secure in crowded spaces. many other people but is still private in the sense that others do not engage in more than casual When territorial boundaries feel threatened, people interaction. naturally adjust their level of privacy to signal what they wish for other people to perceive. 4. Reserve Includes the creation of a psychological barrier Many commuters use headphones and avoid eye contact against unwanted intrusion. to create an invisible barrier between themselves and → Here, one literally “tunes other people out.” others. 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