ABSTRACT
Albert Mehrabian suggested that the concept of proxemics can be used to refer to the degree of closeness, directness or immediacy of the non-verbal interaction between two communicators. Mehrabian also hypothesized that within E.T. Hall's permissible ranges greater proximity of a speaker toward his addressee communicates a more positive speaker attitude to the addressee. A direct relationship between the degree of relaxation of a communicator's posture and the relative status of the communicator and his addressee is suggested by E.Goffman, who noted that higher status participants are more relaxed in psychiatric staff meetings than are lower status participants. The latter two variables, that is, openness and orientation, do interact with several of the other variables included in the experiments in determining inferred attitudes. The findings from the encoding experiment suggest that for male communicators more eye contact, smaller distance, and a relative absence of an arms-akimbo position are part of an attempt to communicate a positive attitude.
