Closeness and Personal Space1. Intimate distance■ Range: 【T1】______ to 45cm

Closeness and Personal Space
Good morning, everyone. Today, we’ll talk about closeness and personal space. Every culture has different levels of physical closeness appropriate to different types of relationship, and individuals learn these distances from the society in which they grew up. When someone violates an appropriate distance, people may feel uncomfortable or defensive. Their actions may well be open to misinterpretation.
In Western society, four distances have been defined according to the relationship between the people involved. They are intimate distance, personal distance, social distance, and public distance. These four distances are associated with the four main types of relationship-- intimate, personal, social and public.
Now we’ll talk about the four personal distances one by one.
First, we’ll begin with intimate distance. Intimate distance ranges from close contact, such as touching, to 45cm. In British society, it tends to be seen as an inappropriate distance for public behaviour and entering the intimate space of another person with whom you do not have a close relationship can be extremely disturbing.
Next, let’s look at the second type of distance, personal distance, which ranges from 45cm to 1.2m. The far phase of personal distance is considered to be the most appropriate for people holding a conversation. At this distance it is easy to see the other person’s expressions and eye movements, as well as their overall body language. Handshaking can occur within the bounds of personal distance.
OK, let’s move onto the third type of personal distance, social distance, which covers the range from 1.2m to 3.6m. This is the normal distance for impersonal business, for example working together in the same room or during social gatherings. Seating is also important; communication is far more likely to be considered as a formal relationship if the interaction is carried out across a desk. In addition, if the seating arrangements are such that one person appears to look down on another, an effect of domination may be created. At a social distance, speech needs to be louder and eye contact remains essential to communication, otherwise feedback will be reduced and the interaction may end.
Finally, the last type of personal distance is public distance, which ranges from 3.7m to 4.5m. Teachers and public speakers address groups at a public distance. At such distances exaggerated non-verbal communication is necessary for communication to be effective. Subtle facial expressions are lost at this distance, so clear hand gestures are often used as a substitute. Larger head movements are also typical of an experienced public speaker who is aware of changes in the way body language is perceived at longer distances.
OK, today we’ve taken a brief look at the four personal distances associated with four main types of relationship. It is worth noting that these distances are considered the norm in Western society. Understanding these distances allows us to approach others in non-threatening and appropriate ways. We can understand how others feel about us, how they view the relationship and, if appropriate, adjust our behaviour accordingly.