proxemics

American  

[prok-see-miks] / prɒkˈsi mɪks /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

1. Sociology, Psychology. the study of the spatial requirements of humans and animals and the effects of population density on behavior, communication, and social interaction.

2. Linguistics. the study of the symbolic and communicative role in a culture of spatial arrangements and variations in distance, as in how far apart individuals engaged in conversation stand depending on the degree of intimacy between them.

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proxemics British  

/ prɒkˈsɪːmɪks /

noun

1. (functioning as singular) the study of spatial interrelationships in humans or in populations of animals of the same species

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Other Word Forms

• proxemic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of proxemics

First recorded in 1960–65; prox(imity) + (phon)emics; apparently coined by U.S. anthropologist Edward T. Hall (1914–2009)

Explanation

Proxemics is the study of the physical space between people. If you're interested in the way a city's density (the number of people who live in a certain area) affects its population, you might want to study proxemics. Cultural anthropologists and sociologists sometimes study proxemics. This branch of knowledge looks at the distances between people in a few different ways, from the area you call your own (like your bedroom or apartment) to the space between you and others on a crowded elevator. When you look at proxemics, you can see the overlap with proximity — both words describe nearness, and come from the Latin proximus, "nearest or next."