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Modelling interpersonal discomfort ratings in third-person settings: An exploratory study.
Olena V Bogdanova1, Anouck Amestoy2, Jean-René Cazalets3
1Centre Hospitalier Charles-Perrens, Pôle Universitaire de Psychiatrie de L'enfant et de L'adolescent, Bordeaux Cedex, France; IMPACT Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM, U1028, CNRS, UMR5292, University of Lyon, Bron Cedex, France.
Summary
Intrusion into personal space causes discomfort that increases with proximity, mirroring peripersonal space boundaries. This discomfort transition distance correlates with personality traits like social anxiety and neuroticism.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Human-Computer Interaction
Background:
- Personal and peripersonal spaces define body-proximal regions.
- Peripersonal space boundaries show sigmoid response facilitation.
- Personal space intrusion elicits discomfort, but its boundary characteristics are less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if discomfort during personal space intrusion exhibits a sigmoid transition.
- To determine if the boundary of this discomfort transition relates to personality traits.
- To explore the potential link between personal space boundaries and peripersonal space mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- A computerized discomfort judgment task with 45 participants.
- Simulated approach of human silhouettes at varying distances (200-16 cm).
- Sigmoid, linear, and power law function approximation of discomfort ratings; correlation with personality measures (social anxiety, Big Five, motor coordination).
Main Results:
- Discomfort ratings increased as simulated distance decreased.
- Sigmoid functions best approximated discomfort changes in most participants (38/45).
- More distant discomfort transition points correlated with higher social anxiety, dyspraxia, neuroticism, and lower agreeableness.
Conclusions:
- Discomfort during personal space intrusion shows a sigmoid transition, analogous to peripersonal space.
- Personality traits significantly influence the perceived boundary of personal space.
- Subjective discomfort judgments may quantify personal space limits, warranting further investigation into shared underlying mechanisms.
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