RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BODY BUFFER ZONE AND VIOLENCE AS ASSESSED BY SUBJECTIVE AND OBJECTIVE TECHNIQUES

• NCJ Number: 46076
• Journal: Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 5 Issue: 1 Dated: (MARCH 1978) Pages: 53-62
• Author(s): S F CURRAN; R J BLATCHLEY; T E HANLON
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 10 pages
• Corporate Author: American Assoc of Correctional Psychologists
• Sale Source: Friends Medical Science Research Ctr, Inc
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE CONCEPT OF PERSONAL SPACE IS EXPLORED IN A STUDY OF 32 MALE INMATES SELECTED ON THE BASIS OF THEIR BEHAVIORAL HISTORIES OF VIOLENCE OR NONVIOLENCE.

Abstract

THE PERSONAL SPACE, OR BODY BUFFER ZONE, IS A SERIES OF CONCENTRIC GLOBES OF SPACE, EACH DEFINING A REGION FOR CERTAIN TYPES OF INTERACTIONS. IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT THE BODY BUFFER ZONE MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE TO OPERATE AT ACCEPTABLE STRESS LEVELS AND AIDS IN THE CONTROL OF AGGRESSION. TO EXPLORE THE CONCEPT, INMATES WITH HISTORIES OF VIOLENCE WERE MATCHED BY AGE AND RACE WITH INMATES WITH HISTORIES OF NONVIOLENCE. THE SUBJECTS' SENSITIVITY TO INTRUSION OF THEIR PERSONAL SPACE WAS MEASURED BY SUBJECTIVE VERBAL RESPONSE AND BY GALVANIC SKIN RESPONSE . VIOLENT INMATES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE SENSITIVE TO APPROACH THAN WERE NONVIOLENT SUBJECTS. THERE WERE NO DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS WITH REGARD TO RELATIVE SENSITIVITY TO APPROACH FROM THE FRONT AND FROM BEHIND. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)