Personal Space Crowding Perception

What it measures

Assesses how much a person feels their personal space would be infringed upon if they were in a depicted physical environment. Items are phrased hypothetically, making them suitable for image-based or scenario-based research. Can be adapted slightly for use when respondents are actually present in the environment being rated.

Response format

7-point Likert (strongly disagree / strongly agree, estimated)

Scale items

• I would feel my personal space is violated.
• I would feel restricted.
• I would feel constricted.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Used by Puzakova & Kwak (2017) in Study 3 (n = 392 undergraduates) as a manipulation check for crowdedness. Alpha = .94. Response format described only as 'Likert-type'; 7-point scale with strongly disagree / strongly agree inferred from context. Items phrased hypothetically (participants viewed pictures). For actual in-situ measurement, rephrase to present tense (e.g., 'I feel restricted.').

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Puzakova, M., & Kwak, H. (2017). Should anthropomorphized brands engage customers? The impact of social crowding on brand preferences. Journal of Marketing, 81(6), 99–115.

Keywords