Proxemics is the term coined by Edward Hall (1957) to describe the social use of space, and personal space in particular. Personal space is the area with invisible boundaries surrounding an individuals body. This area function as a comfort zone during interpersonal communication. It disappear in environments (elevator, crowd). As a matter of fact, Hall proposes four main distances represented below that are employed in American interactions. Moreover, each distance has a particular meaning, in terms of the kind of interaction allowed. Hall argues that those meanings depends on the culture. Hall also shows how distance constrains the types of interaction that are likely to occur, by communicating to participants as well as observers the nature of the relationships between the interactants and their activity.
| Category | Approximate distance |
Kind of interaction |
| Intimate distance |
up to 0.5 meters |
Comforting, threatening |
| Personal distance |
0.5 to 1.25 meters |
Conversation between friends |
| Social distance |
1.25 to 3.5 meters |
Impersonal business dealings |
| Public distance |
more than 3.5 meters |
Addressing a crowd |