THE SOCIAL ECOLOGY OF FREE SEATING ARRANGEMENTS IN A SMALL GROUP INTERACTION CONTEXT

Two experiments were conducted which studied seating distance of subjects in a small group discussion situation. In Experiment I groups of three subjects sat on cushions in a bare carpeted room along with a moderator and discussed a socially relevant issue. The distances generated by subjects ' placement of their cushions servt as the main dependent variable,The predominant seating pattern was a semicircular arrangement of the subjects relative to the moderator. The interaction distances cOosen were within Hall's (1966) personal and social zones..In Experiment II an attempt was made to influence where subjects sat by including in the group a confederate who always sat down first either very near or far from the moderator.iResults showed that subjects attempted to accommodate both the moderator and the confederate in choosing tijeir seating positions. When the confederate sat far way from th