Distances between individuals were recorded at the moment conversation began. The distances were then rela ted to the relationship between the individuals and to their sex, age and race. Groups differing in these characteristics were found to differ reliably in initial speaking distance. Student experimenters were approached more closely by their friends than by their parents whose approach was similar to that of strangers. Speaking distance was suggested as part of an operational definition of interpersonal relations.The use of space is important in the interaction of animals. Hediger (1955) stated that the communication distance between animals varies depending upon the species. Communication distance among humans has also received some attention. Hall (1955) reported that Americans will not stand closer than 18-20 in. when talking to strangers of the same sex, while people from the Middle East or from Latin America stand much closer. Argyle & Dean (1956) found that the distance in social interaction is related to eye contact and to age. Ss approached an experimenter more closely when his eyes were closed and children approached more closely than adults. Sommer (1959Sommer ( , 1962 determined the comfortable seated speaking distance. In the first study he found that women tend to sit more closely than men. Hall (1959) reported that seating distance varies with the intimacy among people. Up to the present time standing speaking distances have not been specified nor have exact speaking distances been reported for pairs of individuals as a function of their relationship. One can determine from casual observation that standing speaking distance is not constant but varies during interaction.The purpose of the present study was to describe with some precision standing speaking distance at the initiation of natural interaction. MethodSubjects. An incidental sample of 755 Sswasobtained in homes, places of business, and in the halls of the University .Apparatus. Each E carried a cloth tape measure which was used to obtain initial speaking distances in inches.Procedure. Forty Es were instructed to obtain 20 initial speaking distances each, using the following procedure: when approached by anyone who began a conversation Es remained at a fixed point. The moment conversation was begun E measured the distance from nose to nose between Sand E. E then recorded the sex, age and race of the S and the relationship between Sand E. Relationship categories were defined as follows: a stranger-an S whom E had never met; acquaintance-an Psychon. Sci., 1966, Vol. 5 (6) FRANK N. WILLIS, JR. UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT KANSAS CITYS whom E had perhaps met but does not greet by name; friend-an S whom E greets or addresses by name; close friend-reserved for E's best same-sexed friends or in the case of opposite-sexed pairs those who dated, who were engaged or were married. Relatives of E were identified in terms of the specific relationship. Three age groupings were used, older, younger, or peer (age within ten years of E). Analyses of th...

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Subjects were asked to choose partners for experiments. The available partners differed in eye-contact or in pupil dilation. Subjects of both sexes were more likely to choose partners with eye-contact during an introduction. Males were more likely to choose female available partners with dilated pupils. Similarly females chose male partners with dilated pupils.

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