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The spatial distance compression effect is due to social interaction and not mere configuration
Zhongqiang Sun1,2, Chuyuan Ye3,4, Ting Sun3,4
1Department of Psychology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China. sunzhongqiang@nbu.edu.cn.
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
|December 17, 2021
Summary
People perceive face-to-face interactions as closer than back-to-back ones. This spatial distance compression effect supports the social interaction hypothesis, not just visual configuration.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive psychology
- Social cognition
- Visual perception
Background:
- Research interest in third-person social interaction perception is growing.
- A spatial distance compression effect occurs when individuals face each other.
- This effect is debated, with two main hypotheses: social interaction and configuration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the social interaction hypothesis versus the configuration hypothesis.
- To determine the mechanism behind the spatial distance compression effect in social perception.
Main Methods:
- Experiment 1: Replicated the effect with upright faces, but not inverted faces.
- Experiments 2a, 2b, 3: Tested nonsocial stimuli (arrows, fans, cars) to assess the effect's specificity.
- Experiment 4: Replicated the effect with upright bodies.
Main Results:
- The spatial distance compression effect was observed with upright faces and bodies.
- The effect was not found with inverted faces or nonsocial stimuli.
- Results indicate the effect is linked to social stimuli and their orientation.
Conclusions:
- Findings strongly support the social interaction hypothesis.
- The perceived closeness in face-to-face interactions is due to social binding, not just visual arrangement.
- Social perception mechanisms influence spatial memory and distance estimation.
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