Department of Basic Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
Centre for Computer Graphics, Campus de Azurém, Guimarães, Portugal.
Psychol Res. 2019 Sep;83(6):1184-1193. doi: 10.1007/s00426-017-0968-1. Epub 2018 Jan 5.
Previous research has associated men's physical features such as height and Shoulder-to-Hip Ratio (SHR) with dominance. Proxemics literature has suggested that the interpersonal space (comfort distance) increases in threatening and uncomfortable situations and decreases in unthreatening and comfortable situations. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the effect of different heights and SHRs on comfortable interpersonal distance by systematic manipulation of virtual confederates bodily features. More specifically, participants determined their comfort distances from virtual male confederates with different heights and SHRs in a virtual environment. We hypothesized that a virtual confederate's height and SHR influences the perception of interpersonal dominance; and consequently interpersonal space increases for taller and broader confederates as a result of increased interpersonal dominance. Results showed that comfortable interpersonal distance was positively associated with height for male participants, but not for female participants. No effect was found for shoulder width, neither for male nor female participants. Results were discussed in terms of the importance of height as a signal of dominance and fighting ability.
先前的研究表明，男性的身高和肩臀比（SHR）等身体特征与支配地位有关。人类空间关系学文献表明，在有威胁和不舒服的情况下，人际空间（舒适距离）会增大，而在没有威胁和舒适的情况下，人际空间会减小。在本研究中，我们旨在通过系统地操纵虚拟同伙的身体特征，研究不同身高和 SHR 对舒适人际距离的影响。具体来说，参与者在虚拟环境中从具有不同身高和 SHR 的虚拟男性同伙那里确定他们的舒适距离。我们假设，虚拟同伙的身高和 SHR 会影响对人际支配地位的感知；因此，由于人际支配地位的提高，更高和更宽的同伙的人际空间会增大。结果表明，男性参与者的舒适人际距离与身高呈正相关，但女性参与者则不然。对于男性和女性参与者来说，肩宽都没有影响。结果从身高作为支配和战斗能力的信号的重要性方面进行了讨论。
