East Tennessee State University Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University Electronic Theses and Dissertations Student Works August 1978 The ffecE ts of Four Proxemic Zones on the Performance of Selected Sixth-, Seventh-, and Eighth-grade Students Joseph F. Miller East Tennessee State University Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.etsu.edu/etd Part of the Education Commons Recommended Citation Miller, Joseph F., "The Effects of Four Proxemic Zones on the Performance of Selected Sixth-, Seventh-, and Eighth-grade Students" (1978). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 2864. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/2864 This Dissertation - Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Works at Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 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University Microfilms International 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108 USA St. John’s Road, Tyler's Green High Wycombe, Ducks, England HPtO 8HR 7^00109 HILLER* JOSEPH FRANKLIN THE EFFECTS OF FOUR PROXEMIC ZONES UN THE PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED SIXTH-* SEVENTH-, AND EIGHTH-GRADE STUDENTS, ' " ' EAST TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY* ED.O., 1?7B University Microfilms International x » n z e e,r o a d , amnarbom.mkbiog THE EFFECTS OF FOUR FKOXEMIC ZONES ON THE PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED SIXTH-, SEVENTH-, AND EIGHTH-GRADE STUDENTS A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Department of Education East Tennessee State University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education by Joseph Franklin Hiller August 1970 APPROVAL This is to certify that the Advanced Graduate Committee of JOSEPH FRANKLIN MILLER met on the ________ !cX ______ day of ________, 19 . The committee read and examined his dissertation, supervised his defense of it in an oral examination, and decided to recommend that his study be submitted to the Graduate Council and the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Education. Chairman, Advanced Gradua^ Conmii11ee L \ J A ‘dl<ry~^' _ THE EFFECTS OF FOUR PROXEMIC ZONES ON THE PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED SIXTH-, SEVENTH-, AND EIGHTH-GRADE STUDENTS An Abstract Presented to the Graduate Faculty East Tennessee State University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education by Joseph Franklin Miller August 1978 Joseph Franklin Miller, B.S., East Tennessee State University, March 1973 M.A., East Tennessee State University, June 1974 Ed,S., Appalachian State University, August 1975 Ed.D., East Tennessee State University, August 1978 THE EFFECTS OF FOUR PROXEMIC ZONES ON THE PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED SIXTH-, SEVENTH-, AND EIGHTH-GRADE STUDENTS Purpose, The problem of this study was to assess the effects of four proxemic zones (intimate, personal, social, and public) on Che performance of randomly selected sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students from East Tennessee State University Laboratory School. Method. Literature was reviewed in order to define the concept of proxemics, to present evidence of the Importance of proxemics in human cultures, and to provide specific educational research findings dealing with the concept of proxemics. The 120 subjects of the study were randomly selected from the sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade population of the East Tennessee State University Laboratory School. The subjects were randomly assigned to four treatment groups and one control group. The four treatment groups received instruction, at varying distances, on the purposes, functions, and organization of the United Nations. The control group received a pseudo-treatment to control for "Hawthorne Effect," The pseudo-treatment consisted of viewing two films unrelated to the United Nations instruc­ tion. At the conclusion of a thirty-minute Instructional period each group was administered a post-test. The post-test was a twenty-item objec­ tive questionnaire concerning the purposes, functions, and organization of the United Nations. Differences between means of post-test scores of the five groups were tested for statistical significance in a one-way analysis of variance. Fair-wise comparisons between groups were tested by a Newman- Keuls statistical technique. The .05 level of significance was adopted in all cases. Results of the data analysis indicated that the mean post-test scores of the students Instructed in the four proxemic zones were significantly superior to the mean post-test score of the control group. The mean for students instructed in the intimate proxemic zone was significantly superior to the means for students Instructed in the other three proxemic zoneB. No significant differences were analyzed in other pair-wise comparisons. iv V Summary. Results of this study did not provide absolute guide­ lines for distances in which instruction should be provided. The fact that there was no evidence of differences in the effectiveness of Instruc­ tion in the personal, social, and public proxemic zones, does not mean that there are no conditions under which instruction in these zones might be more effective. However, the instruction presented in the intimate proxemic zone proved to be the most effective when compared to presenta­ tions made in every other proxemic zone. Conclusions. The results of the experiment provided evidence that the effectiveness of instruction was greatest when presented in the intimate proxemic zone. An examination of post-test means indicated progressively decreasing means for the personal, social, and public proxemic zones— the scores being 15.79, 15.46, and 14.54, respectively. A tentative proposition indicated by this array of means is: the closer instructors distance themselves to students, the more effective the Instruction will he. Dissertation prepared under the guidance of Dr. Gem Kate Greninger, Dr. Albert Hauff, Dr. Ted Cobun, Dr. Phil Wlshon, and Dr. Lloyd Graunke. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author wishes to express his gratitude to Dr. Gem Kate Greninger, for serving as graduate committee chairperson and for commit­ ting her time, effort, and professional competencies during this study. The author is deeply grateful to Dr. Albert Hauff for his special assistance. Also, the author extends appreciation to Dr. Ted C. Cobun, Dr. Phil Wlshon and Dr. Lloyd Graunke for serving as graduate committee members and for assisting in the completion of the study. The author is indebted to Mrs. Judy Bragg for her expertise in typing this dissertation. Finally, the author wishes to thank his wife, Linda, for her patience and understanding and for her willing acceptance of the limita­ tions imposed upon her while this study was being undertaken. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page APPROVAL.................................................. 11 ABSTRACT.................................................. Ill ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .......................................... vl LIST OF TABLES............................................ x Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION ....................................... 1 The Problem ..................................... 3 Statement of the Problem ........................ 3 Hypotheses ............................... 3 Significance of the Study ........................ A Assumptions ..................................... 6 Delimitations of the Study ........................ 6 Definitions of Terms .............................. 7 Body I m age.................................. 7 D y a d .........................................