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Effects of Modulated Emotion and Facial Masking Encounter on Personal Distance
Natsuo Sakuma1, Kazunari Ikeda1
1Center for the Research and Support of Educational Practice, Tokyo Gakugei University, Tokyo, Japan.
Perceptual and Motor Skills
|November 17, 2020
Summary
Positive emotions shrink personal space, while negative emotions expand it. Unmasked faces further reduce interpersonal distance, regardless of emotion, offering pandemic behavior insights.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Human Behavior
Background:
- Personal space, the invisible boundary around individuals, is influenced by various psychological factors.
- Understanding proxemics is crucial for social interaction, especially in contexts like pandemics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how induced emotional states affect personal space.
- To examine the impact of facial masking on perceived interpersonal distance.
- To explore the interplay between emotion and facial visibility in defining personal space.
Main Methods:
- Participants' emotional states were manipulated (positive and negative emotions).
- Personal space was measured using the uncomfortable stop-distance method.
- An approaching person's face was presented either masked or unmasked.
Main Results:
- Inducing positive emotions led to a narrowing of personal space.
- Inducing negative emotions resulted in a widening of personal space.
- Unmasked faces consistently decreased perceived interpersonal distance compared to masked faces, irrespective of emotional state.
Conclusions:
- Emotional states significantly modulate personal space.
- Facial visibility plays a key role in regulating interpersonal distance.
- Findings offer insights into social distancing behaviors during health crises.
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