Wearing a Mask Shapes Interpersonal Space during COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Social distancing norms have been promoted after the COVID-19 pandemic. In this work, we tested interpersonal space (IPS) in 107 subjects through a reaching-comfort distance estimation task. In the main experiment, subjects had to estimate the comfort and reach space between an avatar wearing or not wearing a face mask. We found that IPS was greater between avatars not wearing a mask with respect to stimuli with the mask on, while reaching space was not modulated. IPS increment in the NoMask condition with respect to the Mask condition correlated with anxiety traits, as shown with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, rather than with transient aspects related to the pandemic situation. In the control experiment, the avatars with a mask were removed to further explore the conditioning effect provided by the presence of the facial protection in the main experiment. We found a significant difference comparing this condition with the same condition of the main experiment, namely, the distances kept between avatars not wearing a mask in the main experiment were greater than those between the same stimuli in the control experiment. This showed a contextual adaptation of IPS when elements related to the actual pandemic situation were relevant. Additionally, no significant differences were found between the control experiment and the Mask condition of the main experiment, suggesting that participants had internalized social distancing norms and wearing a mask has become the new normal. Our results highlight the tendency of people in underestimating the risk of contagion when in the presence of someone wearing a mask.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; comfort space; interpersonal space; peripersonal space; protective aid; reaching space; social distancing.

Figure 1

(A) Experimental design. Online version of reach-comfort distance estimation task. Subjects were asked to identify with the avatar (both male or female avatar, depending on the sex of the participant) indicated by the arrow on the first web page and follow the instruction written below. On the following page, one of the two avatars moved toward the other. Participants were asked to press the spacebar to stop the video when the moving avatar reached the target distance, either the comfort or the reach distance depending on the previous instruction. In the main experiment, avatars wearing or not wearing a mask were balanced, while in the control experiment, stimuli with the mask were removed. (B) Main experiment results. Distances between avatars in the Mask and NoMask conditions, and in comfort (red) and reach (grey) tasks. Distances were computed as the logarithmic value of the pixel between one avatar and the other. The continuous lines and the associated error bars indicate average values ± ES. ** refers to p < 0.01. (C) Comparison between main and control experiment. Change in the distance in the NoMask condition of the two experiments. Dots represent averaged data ± ES of NoMask condition in main experiment. Squares represent the NoMask condition in control experiment. Distances values are represented by the logarithmic value of the pixel between one avatar and the other. ** refers to p < 0.01.