Where does one stand: A biological account of preferred interpersonal distance

Anat Perry*, Nikolay Nichiporuk, Robert T. Knight

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

29 Scopus citations

Abstract

What determines how close you choose to stand to someone? Why do some people prefer farther distances than others? We hypothesized that an important factor is one's sensory sensitivity level, i.e. how sensitive one is to nearby visual stimulation, noise, touch or smell. This study characterizes the behavioral, hormonal and electrophysiological metrics of interpersonal distance (IPD) preferences in relation to levels of sensory sensitivity. Using both an ecologically realistic task and electroencephalogram (EEG), we found that sensory sensitivity levels predicted IPD preferences, such that the more sensitive one is the farther distance they prefer. Furthermore, electrophysiological evidence revealed that individuals with higher sensory sensitivity show more alpha suppression for approaching stimuli, strengthening the notion that early sensory cortical excitability is involved in one's social decision of how close to stand to another. The results provide evidence that a core human metric of social interaction is influenced by individual levels of sensory sensitivity.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)317-326
Number of pages10
JournalSocial Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience
Volume11
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 21 Apr 2015
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author (2015). Published by Oxford University Press.

Keywords

  • Interpersonal distance
  • alpha rhythms
  • personal space
  • sensory sensitivity
  • stress

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