The study of personal space and how humans use distance in general is called proxemics. The term "proxemics" was first used in 1963 by an anthropologist and researcher named E.T. Hall, who was fascinated with how people communicate nonverbally using spatial relationships and territory. Through his research he demonstrated and defined four areas of space relevant to proxemics:

There is no single set distance for each of these spaces because there is so much variation. The use of space is a dynamic process; it shifts and adjusts depending on personalities, situations, social perceptions, cultures, and more.

Very few factors matter as much in the secret language of business as proxemics.

Research and study, though, have identified a general range of distances for each of these spaces and the types of interactions that occur in each one. As I define each one in more detail, think of them as concentric circles with you standing in the middle and the circles radiating outward.

Intimate Space

This area extends from your body out to around 18 inches or so. As the name implies, only those with whom you have the most intimate relationships can move into this space without you moving away. It is the range of space typically used for intimate touch, whispers, hugs, kisses, and the like.

Personal Space

This area starts at about 18 inches away from you and extends out to about four feet or so. It is the area reserved for interactions with good friends and people with whom you have a solid personal connection. Some body language experts refer to this as your "personal bubble" or just your bubble. Interestingly, this is the space most likely to fluctuate from culture to culture.

Social Space

This area starts about four feet away from you and extends out to about 12 feet or so. It is the area reserved for interactions with new acquaintances, casual acquaintances, and anybody with whom you don't have a high comfort level.

Public Space

This final area starts about 12 feet away from you and extends out to about 25 feet or beyond. It is the area of interaction among the general public, whether it's walking past each other in a park, speaking to an audience, or walking through the mall.

I mentioned earlier about cultural differences in proxemics and space, especially when it comes to personal space. The differences among cultures are marked, and when they are not understood, acknowledged, and respected it can quickly lead to a great deal of misunderstanding and trouble.

For instance, in northern European countries such as Great Britain, Norway, and Sweden, personal space is generally quite large. In those countries you would not stand as close to someone, and you certainly wouldn't touch someone unless you were very good or intimate friends. This all seems very normal to people who live in those cultures, but it would seem exceedingly strange to people from other cultures.

If you were interacting with someone from Italy, Spain, the Middle East, or a Latin American country you would find the personal space distance to be extremely small. It is not unusual for people from these areas to feel perfectly comfortable in very close proximity to each other, sometimes even face to face. Touch is an accepted practice in these cultures, even among new acquaintances.

You can imagine, then, the potential for misunderstandings when these cultures intersect. Those with a need for a larger personal space may be seen as cold, distant, reserved, or unemotional, while those comfortable with a smaller personal space may be seen as rude, inappropriate, or much too forward.

The relationship between body language and proxemics is complex and not fully understood, but it is also extremely revealing and interesting. So much of proxemics is based on personal preference and social perceptions that body language and nonverbal behaviors become even more critical to observe and understand.

Body language is the primary tool you use to communicate with others about your own specific distances for each category of space. This allows you to avoid verbal messages that may be awkward to send or even considered rude by some people. Rather, nonverbal behaviors are a subtle means of sending and receiving messages that help negotiate the use of space and territory around you.

Another advantage of using body language rather than words is its dynamic and flexible nature. This is important because as a conversation proceeds you may feel varying levels of comfort with the other person and nonverbal behaviors allow you to communicate those varying levels in real time. As you become more comfortable with another person, your body language indicates it's okay to move closer into your spaces, but if at any point you feel less comfortable or discover something you perceive to be negative about that other person you can just as easily indicate the need for more distance.

The classic illustration of body language and proxemics at work is the first date. If you were to observe two people on a first date you would see the ebb and flow of nonverbal behaviors throughout the interaction. For instance, they might start by shaking hands and sit down on opposite sides of the table. As they get to know each other and feel more comfortable with each other, you would see them leaning toward each other more, perhaps sliding their chairs closer together, and occasionally reaching out to touch the other person's hand quickly and lightly.

Another good illustration is to watch people walking on any city sidewalk. If the sidewalk is not crowded you will see individuals casually and subtly moving to maximize the distance between themselves and others on the sidewalk, particularly those walking toward them. As the sidewalk becomes more crowded, however, it becomes more difficult to maintain those spaces so new nonverbal behaviors will emerge. People will turn away from each other slightly as they pass, sending the message that the spacing is too close for total comfort.

Proxemics and body language also have practical applications in the workplace. For instance, if you are working with someone else on a project and the two of you sit down to discuss it you'll likely sit with an adjoining corner between you if your focus is going to be on the table in front of you. This position allows both of you to easily see the materials before you and to keep your attention on those materials instead of directly on each other.

If your discussion with someone else is more adversarial, difficult, or simply a getting-to-know-you type of conversation, you'll most likely sit on opposite sides of the table, facing each other. From this position you can most directly observe and interpret body language, maintain eye contact, and use the table as a safe buffer zone between you.

So how big is your bubble? You may never have thought about it (most people don't) because it is just an automatic part of who you are, but if you take the time to understand your own preferences you can better understand the kinds of nonverbal messages you send to other people.

For instance, if you have a large personal space and your supervisor or manager has a smaller personal space interactions between the two of you may not be so smooth. When you're talking with each other your supervisor probably stands closer to you than you would like, causing your body language to send "step back" or "get away from me" messages, which, in turn, may be perceived by your supervisor as cold, rude, or disrespectful. Not exactly a great pattern of communication in terms of your work and career.

What can you do about it? Increase your awareness, first of all. Before you can consciously adapt your nonverbal behaviors you have to be aware of what they are and how they are triggered at various points of your space boundaries. Using the example above, if you know your supervisor tends to move in closer than you might like, you can choose to either say something to him or her, or adapt your own responses when the two of you interact. You might make a point of sitting on the opposite side of the meeting room table, for example, or keeping a desk or office chair between you when you talk. I can't tell you which idea is the best, though; you need to consider the advantages and disadvantages of both approaches and decide for yourself the best course of action.

You also have different space distances in different environments. The workplace, public places, your home, the gym, the shopping mall—your boundaries will shift a bit in all of these environments. Even if you interact with the exact same people in two different places, your space distances will likely change from one place to another.

An excellent example of this is the office party. In the workplace you have specific boundaries that are appropriate for the business nature of the environment and status relationships among you and your coworkers. Now put all of you together in a social environment such as an office party, and just see how subtly your boundaries change. Your conversations will likely be lighter and not work related, so you may feel more comfortable when coworkers stand a little closer for friendly exchanges.

Gender differences are also quite pronounced when it comes to proxemics. In general, women are much more comfortable with a small personal space when interacting with other women, regardless of the environment. Change that interaction to a man and a woman, though, and the environment makes a huge difference. A larger personal space is more typical in the workplace, while a closer personal space is more typical in a social situation. When it comes to men interacting with other men, larger spaces are generally the norm.

You can use proxemics to improve your communications, both as the sender and the receiver. I talked about this with you as the sender in the previous section on your bubble, so I won't repeat that information here. The most important point for you to remember is to be aware of the nonverbal messages you're sending and modify them if possible and if appropriate.

When you are the message receiver there is a great deal you can do with the nonverbal information you take in via proxemics. It can help you gauge how a business meeting is proceeding, what's going on with a negotiation, if your date is enjoying your company, and how your new office partner feels about the division of space between your desks.

Proxemics is also an invaluable tool if you interact with someone from another culture, no matter the environment. Learn a little bit about what to expect if you plan to travel to Spain, for example, or Great Britain. This will help you better understand and receive messages from the people you meet and help you determine the best ways to send your own messages while there. In business, it is critical to know about cultural differences to avoid misunderstandings, difficult negotiations, or even losing a valued customer.

Overall, proxemics is one of the most interesting areas of body language and nonverbal behaviors. I strongly encourage you to become aware of people's space as they approach you, and how they respond to you as you approach them.

How do they shift their bodies?

What do their eyes do?

Where do their hands go from and to?