Effects of Group Characteristics on Social Space

Abstract

A representational task employing top-view profiles was used to measure the social space of subjects toward groups in which structural characteristics were systematically varied. Three separate experiments were conducted. Females displayed larger social space than males toward groups of three and toward all-male groups. Semicircular and rank groups produced similar social space, and it was larger than that for file groups. Increases in group size affected social space for the semicircular and rank formations but not for the file formation. Group space increased with the number of males in the group and their proximity to the approaches Larger social space for groups of low than of high density indicated that both number of group members and area they occupied influenced social space.