Cultural differences There are cultural norms for personal

Cultural differences There are cultural norms for personal space and these differ between cultures. This usually becomes obvious when people from different cultures interact. Sommer (1969) observed groups of British and Arab people in conversation and found that English people preferred more personal space than Arab men. A further study found that Arab men perceive English men in a better light when they stand closer. This suggests preferences for personal space differ from culture to culture.

Gender differences Men tend to prefer more personal space when interacting with other men while women are more tolerant to smaller social distances. Byrne found that when talking to friends, men prefer to sit opposite each other whilst women sit next to each other showing they are more comfortable with less personal space. Further research found women feel more anxious if their personal space is invaded from the side while men feel threatened if it is invaded from the front.

Status differences Zahn (1991) found that people who have equal/similar status maintain a closer distance than those with unequal status. He found that, in an observation of 45 workers, those with lower social status do not approach those of higher social status as closely as they did those who were of a similar societal rank. This shows that status can have a significant effect on personal space.