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The Factors That Affect Our Comfort Zones And Our View Of Personal Space

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Some people like to stand close to those they are speaking to, regardless of how well they know them. Some people prefer to maintain a sizeable gap between them and who they are conversing with, even when they know them well. However, why is that the case? What is it that sets them apart? Proxemics is defined as “the study of human use of space and the effects that population density has on behavior, communication, and social interaction” (Dictionary 1). There are many factors that influence our comfort zones and our view of personal space. The three main determinants of human use of space in conversation are the relationship with those they are speaking with, their individual personality, and the culture they were raised in.
To begin, consider this. How comfortable would a person be talking to a stranger less than a foot away from their face? How comfortable would they be speaking with them from a few feet away? One would be much more comfortable in the latter situation than the former. The reason for this is because of the relationship the individual has with that person. Because that person does not know them well, they are uncomfortable speaking within such an intimate distance. The relationship between speakers is a determinant of how close they are comfortable being when speaking; there would be a greater comfortable distance between strangers/acquaintances than there would be between family, close friends, or significant others. To continue, people are more

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