Practical Insights

Practical Insights 1 min

Interpersonal space 1 min

Interpersonal space can be thought of as the socially negotiated gap we keep between ourselves and others. Several bands have been proposed¹¹⁹: intimate(< 0.5 m),* personal*(0.5 -- 1.2 m),* social*(1.2 -- 2.1 m) and* public* (> 2.1 m). These boundaries vary¹²⁰ depending upon culture, relationship status, crowd density and task. For example, East Asian norms tolerate closer proximity than Northern European. In immersive environments, a consideration of interpersonal space can be important for issues such as comfortable avatar spacing¹²¹ and queue management⁷⁷.

Peripersonal space 1 min

Peripersonal space has been referred to as the "multisensory interface between the individual and environment."¹²² It's an invisible bubble of space, perhaps extending 60cm from the body, in which the brain processes objects/events differently from those farther away¹²³. Within this space the brain continuously fuses vision, touch, proprioception and threat cues to guide reaching, manipulation and self-protection.