Proxemic Behaviors in Same-Sex and Opposite-Sex Social Interactions: Applications in Urban and Interior Space Design

Proxemics is the study of human communication space, examining how individuals interact physically and the nature of these interactions. Edward T. Hall introduced the concept of proxemics and developed a notation system to record proxemic behaviors, showing how cultural principles define intimate, personal, social, and public zones based on mental, visual, auditory, olfactory, thermal, and tactile experiences. While these concepts have been widely studied in various cultural contexts, ongoing changes in societal norms, technological developments, and global health events highlight the need for updated research that can inform the design of physical environments. This study examines proxemic behaviors among same-sex and opposite-sex individuals, focusing on the impact of eight factors: postural-sex identifiers, sociofugal-sociopetal axis, kinesthetic factors, tactile/touch code, visual code, thermal code, olfaction code, and voice loudness. Adopting a qualitative, comparative approach, the research involved video and photo analysis of student interactions in a controlled café environment. The interactions were segmented into three five-minute intervals to observe changes over time. Findings revealed that opposite-sex individuals maintained greater distances, reduced direct eye contact, and avoided facing each other directly compared to same-sex individuals, particularly during the initial minutes. These results highlight the importance of considering proxemic behaviors in designing urban and architectural spaces sensitive to cultural and social dynamics.