A Multimethod Assessment of Personal Space Development in Female and Male, Black and White Children

In order to obtain evidence of the effects of demographic parameters and measurement techniques on personal space, several different assessments were used to determine the impact of subject age, race, and sex on interpersonal distancing. Thirteen different variables representing stimulation, paper-and-pencil, and behavioral techniques indicated that as age increased, personal space requirements decreased, particularly for whites. Blacks as compared to whites required less space at age 7, and mixed-sex dyads tended to require more space than same-sex dyads. The results thus indicate that while some previous findings appear to be measurement method specific, others show intermethod consistency. Despite the popularity of personal space as a research topic during the last decade, questions remain concerning the quality of the data amassed. As Evans and Howard (1973) note, the data are "often inconsistent and ambiguous. Those that are not have generally been collected by poor techniques, which make positive conclusions possible only in cases where the data overwhelmingly supports the conclusion" (p. 334). And Hayduk (1978) concludes that "if one accepts findings based only on the strongest measurement techniques, considerable reevaluation of research on personal space appears necessary" (p. 117). Evans and Howard suggest that one way to rectify the problems of inconsistent findings in the literature is to examine personal space requirements using several measurement techniques. Lawrence J. Severy is affiliated with the Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Donelson R. Forsyth, with the Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia; and Peggy Jo Wagner, with Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Requests for reprints should be directed to Lawrence J. Severy, Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 3261 I. 68 Journal of Nonverbal Behavior 4(2) Winter 1979 0191-5886/79/1600-006B$00.95 ~) 1979 Human Sciences Press