ExpertMedium4 marksExtended Response
Language, thought and communicationPersonal SpaceNon-verbal CommunicationStatus
AQA GCSE · Question 09
Read the following conversation between two Year 11 students.
Brandon: I was working this weekend and my boss wanted to talk to me about something. Even though he was standing the same distance away from me as you are now, it felt like he was standing way too close.
Lane: That's interesting. I have noticed that I feel like that when the Head Teacher is talking to me at school. But I never feel uncomfortable with any of the Year 7 students standing that close.
Outline how status can affect personal space.
Refer to both Brandon and Lane's comments in your answer.
Read the following conversation between two Year 11 students.
Brandon: I was working this weekend and my boss wanted to talk to me about something. Even though he was standing the same distance away from me as you are now, it felt like he was standing way too close.
Lane: That's interesting. I have noticed that I feel like that when the Head Teacher is talking to me at school. But I never feel uncomfortable with any of the Year 7 students standing that close.
Outline how status can affect personal space.
Refer to both Brandon and Lane's comments in your answer.
How to approach this question
1. Start by explaining the general rule of how status affects personal space (high status = more space needed, low status = less space needed).
2. Address Brandon's comment. Explain how the status difference between him and his boss made him feel uncomfortable.
3. Address Lane's comment. Explain how her different feelings towards the Head Teacher (high status) and Year 7s (low status) demonstrate the principle.
Full Answer
Personal space is the region surrounding a person which they regard as psychologically theirs. The amount of personal space people prefer is influenced by several factors, including culture, gender, and status. Status refers to a person's rank or position in a hierarchy. Research shows that people tend to maintain a greater distance from those they perceive as having a higher status. This is demonstrated in the conversation: both Brandon and Lane feel that high-status individuals (boss, Head Teacher) invade their personal space at a distance they would find acceptable from a peer or a lower-status individual (Year 7 student).
Common mistakes
Failing to refer to both Brandon and Lane, or not referring to all parts of Lane's comment (both the Head Teacher and the Year 7s). The question requires reference to all parts of the stimulus.
Practice the full AQA GCSE Psychology Paper 2
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