Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Don't Stand So Close to Me

2004; SAGE Publishing; Volume: 15; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1111/j.0956-7976.2004.00658.x

1467-9280

Rob W. Holland, Ute-Regina Roeder, Baaren Rick B.van, Aafje C. Brandt, Bettina Hannover,

Behavioral Health and Interventions

Three studies investigated the effects of self-construal activation on behavior conducive to interpersonal proximity. Study 1 revealed that compared with control participants, participants who were primed with the independent (or personal) self sat further away from where they anticipated another person would sit in a waiting room. Results of Study 2 indicated that participants primed with the interdependent (or social) self sat closer to the anticipated other person than did those primed with the independent self. Finally, Study 3 used the chronic self-construal of participants to predict the seating distance in dyadic settings. Results showed that greater independence of participants' self-construals was associated with greater spatial distance during the interaction. Together, the studies provide clear evidence that self-construal activation automatically influences interpersonal behavior as reflected in the actual distance between the self and others. Results are discussed in terms of the functions and motives connected to self-construals.