PSYCHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND INTERPERSONAL DISTANCE

Locus of control and Mach IV scores are found to be correlated with standing interpersonal distancing behavior in a behavioral game. Correlations between interpersonal distance and factors of these scales suggest that interpersonal distance is not generally manipulated actively to influence others but that greater distance is used as a defense against perceived negative characteristics of others. Scores on Vando's (1969) Reducer Augmentor scale predict distancing behavior with specific individuals (research confederates), but the direction of the correlation varies among individuals.