Abstract
The present paper aimed to investigate the anisotropy of personal space (PS) using interpersonal distance at which a subject begins to feel personally uncomfortable. Two kinds of distances were measured: a subject approaches the eight aspects of an object male person (approach distance); the object person approaches the subject (approached distance). Subjects were extravert and introvert males. Lightness of the room was varied at two levels. Data were analyzed with logarithmically transformed values. Results are as follows;
(1) Interpersonal distance decreases monotonically as the degrees of the angle with the median plane of the body increase from the front to the rear. So, it is reasonably concluded that PS has the anisotropic structure.
(2) Darkness has more effect on subject's personal uncomfort in approached distance than approach distance, and more at the rear than at the front.
(3) Introverts take greater distance than extraverts, and the two groups show the same difference at every aspect.
Asymmetry of PS was not verified. Some determinants of anisotropy, especially visual factors such as eye-contact and visual contact, were discussed.
