FotFactory - NLP and Popular Psychology Adolescence

Spacing - Continued

The Mob

As crowd density increases, each person has less personal space and so starts to feel hostile - fights may start. Security forces will try to break up the crowd so that each person's personal space is reclaimed, hence calming the situation. High density housing can be a cause of crime, at least in part due to the lack of personal space. A study of deer on an island in Chesapeake Bay (USA) shows deer dying because of stress and not predators.

Spacing Rituals

When going in to an area with strangers e.g. a changing room, seat at a cinema or conference table, a person looks for the widest space between two others and claims the area in the centre. This is to avoid offending people by being too close or too far away. This works for everything except for public toilets! - men stand as far away as possible away from strangers.

Zones and Cultures

Australians have a 46 cm intimate zone, South Europeans have a 25 cm intimate zone. Moving into the intimate zone of another person is often called an “advance.” To measure a man’s interest level, a woman will step into his intimate zone and then step back out. If he is interested he will step in to her space.

Territory and Ownership

The home, office and car are territories and have clearly marked boundaries – walls, gates, fences, doors. Territories have sub territories e.g. a favourite place at a conference table, a kitchen, best chair. They are marked by leaving personal possessions.

Car Territory

This magnifies personal space: sometimes ten times as much! That is why if someone is “cut up” then road rage can ensue.

Click here to continue to mirroring.