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Updated: May 6, 2026

Conditions Affecting Social Space in Drosophila melanogaster
Published on: November 5, 2015
Size and structure of freely forming conversational groups
R I Dunbar1, N D Duncan, D Nettle
1Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, P.O. Box 147, L69 3BX, Liverpool, England.
Abstract:
Data from various settings suggest that there is an upper limit of about four on the number of individuals who can interact in spontaneous conversation. This limit appears to be a consequence of the mechanisms of speech production and detection. There appear to be no differences between men and women in this respect, other than those introduced by women's lighter voices.
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