The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of room size, sex of subject, sex of invader, and initial approach distance on personal space. 10 male and 10 female subjects were approached by a male or female invader from the front and side in one of the following conditions: (1) a 9-ft. distance in a large room, (2) a 3-ft. distance in a small room, and (3) a 3-ft. distance in the large room. The 3 × 2 × 2 × 2 factorial analysis indicated that the initial approach distance, not room size, significantly affected personal space. It was hypothesized that initial approach distance affected subjects' feelings towards the invader and consequently affected personal space. There was also an effect of sex of invader.
