Nonverbal Observational Experiments

Nonverbal communication is a significant trait of human interaction. I chose one of the most vital of them all, the nonverbal behavior rule of Proxemics or space. This rule deals with respect and having courtesy of the people around you. It has become a social norm to respect someone’s personal space. Most people tend to become extremely uncomfortable when they feel someone is too close. This could be caused from claustrophobia or numerous other fears. This is one of the only behavior norms that can trigger aggressive behavior whenever it is violated.
In order to violate this nonverbal norm, I had to set up a series of observational experiments. Finding the right environment for this experiment was not difficult. Since it had to do with personal space, the first place that came to mind, was a public …show more content…
This way, I will receive accurate results of the other individual when a move is made. The elevators of the campus library were used for my location of operation. Starting from the second floor, I waited until another student stepped into the elevator. As the doors closed, I moved closer to the individual and took note of how long it would take for them to notice. I observed what their initial reaction was, and continued to see how long it took before they say something to me. This experiment was repeated a total of five times with different test subjects to ensure accuracy.
This nonverbal violation falls under the “Personal space” category of communication. This category describes what people believe to be the social norm for one individual distance from another. Two people do not usually walk down the street shoulder to shoulder unless they know each other. However, they are still only comfortable keeping a certain distance away. It is abnormal (or even discouraged) to invade someone’s personal space today because these are the standards we all were instilled with growing