personal space

an area of defended space around an individual. Personal space differs from other types of defended space (e.g., territory) by being a surrounding “bubble” that moves with the individual (see bubble concept of personal space). It may have been used by various species throughout evolutionary history to protect the individual organism against intraspecies aggression and threats to personal autonomy. Because human use of personal space varies among cultures, it is a learned behavior, at least in part. See proxemics.

Browse dictionary by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Psychology term of the day

April 25th 2024

formal grammar

a description of language in terms of its form and structure as opposed to its function and meaning. Compare functional grammar. See form–function distinction.