Personal distance is a concept associated with proxemics. Personal distance has both a close phase and a far phase, but this paper will be focusing on the close phase. Personal distance is defined as the consistent space between two communicators, having no physical contact with each other (Hall, 1966). Edward Hall (1966) states, “It might be thought of as a small protective sphere or bubble that an organism maintains between itself and others” (p. 119). Hall (1966) claimed that the proxemics zone of personal distance of the close phase is between one and a half to two and a half feet. He describes this distance as one being able to touch another, but it is not close enough to be considered intimate space (Hall, 1966).
In a close phase, viewing …show more content…
In this scene, the couple had a ‘turn taking’ eye contact. Hall (1966) states “There is noticeable feedback from the muscles that control [their] eyes” (p. 119). This feedback helps the couple to know when to speak so that a smooth transition can take place between their voices in the disagreement. There is a point in the interaction where the couple had their eyes fixed on each other. This means that the couple is paying particular attention to the muscles around each other’s eyeballs; they are retaining “a single coherent image” of the emotions they see on each other’s face (Hall, 1966, p.119). The fifteen degree visual angle between the couple’s interactions allows them to see each other’s upper and lower facial features; this angle helps the husband to see the tears in his wife’s eye. She is angry and heartbroken. The wife also sees how frustrated her husband looks. They are not in an intimate space, but there is still a clear view of the planes and the roundness of their faces. In the eyes of both individuals, they can see the nose projection and the ears reduction of the other. The fine facial hair, eyelashes, and pores all are clearly visual. Where they are standing in relation to each other, which is approximately one and a half feet, signals their intimate relationship. They are not in the intimate circle, but the close phase in the personal space similarly generates how they feel about each
In a close phase, viewing …show more content…
In this scene, the couple had a ‘turn taking’ eye contact. Hall (1966) states “There is noticeable feedback from the muscles that control [their] eyes” (p. 119). This feedback helps the couple to know when to speak so that a smooth transition can take place between their voices in the disagreement. There is a point in the interaction where the couple had their eyes fixed on each other. This means that the couple is paying particular attention to the muscles around each other’s eyeballs; they are retaining “a single coherent image” of the emotions they see on each other’s face (Hall, 1966, p.119). The fifteen degree visual angle between the couple’s interactions allows them to see each other’s upper and lower facial features; this angle helps the husband to see the tears in his wife’s eye. She is angry and heartbroken. The wife also sees how frustrated her husband looks. They are not in an intimate space, but there is still a clear view of the planes and the roundness of their faces. In the eyes of both individuals, they can see the nose projection and the ears reduction of the other. The fine facial hair, eyelashes, and pores all are clearly visual. Where they are standing in relation to each other, which is approximately one and a half feet, signals their intimate relationship. They are not in the intimate circle, but the close phase in the personal space similarly generates how they feel about each