Dynamic Characteristics of the Transformation of Interpersonal Distance in Cooperation

This paper describes an empirical study that investigated how interpersonal distance under a cooperative situation varied in accordance with the differences of task, device, orientation of the body, and posture. Twenty young adults participated. The results revealed statistically significant effects of task (p<.01), device (p<.01), and orientation of the body (p<.01) on the transformation of inter-personal distance. In particular, there were statistically significant differences between "no particular task" > "holding a device" > "cooperative tasks"; between "face-to-face" > "side-by-side"; and between "notebook-PC" > "blackboard" or "smartphone". The results also suggested that not only a single cause but the complex of multiple factors of social interaction influenced the transformation of interpersonal distances. A new model of the measurement was also proposed.