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Mapping Social Interactions: The Science of Proxemics

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Social Behavior from Rodents to Humans

Part of the book series: Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences ((CTBN,volume 30))

Abstract

Interpersonal distance and gaze provide a wealth of information during face-to-face social interactions. These “proxemic” behaviors offer a window into everyday social cognition by revealing interactants’ affective states (e.g., interpersonal attitudes) and cognitive responses (e.g., social attention). Here we provide a brief overview of the social psychological literature in this domain. We focus on new techniques for experimentally manipulating and measuring proxemics, including the use of immersive virtual environments and digital motion capture. We also discuss ways in which these approaches can be integrated with psychophysiological and neuroimaging techniques. Throughout, we argue that contemporary proxemics research provides psychology and neuroscience with a means to study social cognition and behavior as they naturally emerge and unfold in vivo.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstraße 1A, 04103, Leipzig, Germany

    Cade McCall

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  1. Cade McCall
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Correspondence to Cade McCall .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Behavioral Neuroscience, Experim. and Physiological Psychology Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany

    Markus Wöhr

  2. Dep of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany

    Sören Krach

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McCall, C. (2015). Mapping Social Interactions: The Science of Proxemics. In: Wöhr, M., Krach, S. (eds) Social Behavior from Rodents to Humans. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences, vol 30. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/7854_2015_431

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