Spatial Arrangements in Freely Formed Groups 1

In an investigation of the spatial ecology of groups, it was hypothesized that the function of a group would affect the spatial arrangements of the members. Groups of eight subjects made individual decisions or conducted a discussion and came to a collective decision. Members of the groups were able to place their chairs anywhere within a large empty room. The results showed smaller interpersonal distances and greater visual contact in the groups making collective decisions. The spatial arrangements were highly standardized in the Collective Decision condition. Although there was considerable variance in the size of Individual Decision groups, there was surprisingly little variance in the distances between subjects in the same group. The results strongly suggest the existence of norms for spatial arrangements.