EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL ANXIETY, AUTISTIC TRAITS, AND ATTACHMENT STYLE ON INTERPERSONAL DISTANCE

This thesis investigates the impact of certain psychological factors, specifically the perceived level of social anxiety, the presence of traits associated with the Autistic Spectrum Disorder and attachment style, on the regulation of Interpersonal Distance in social contexts. To examine the role of these psychological factors, the Stop-Distance Task was employed, performed with both a confederate and an acquaintance, and conducted in the participants' daily environments. Following this task, participants completed three different questionnaires designed to assess the psychological variables of interest. The results reveal the existence of two significant positive correlations: both autistic traits and social anxiety influence Interpersonal Distance. As these factors increase, the Interpersonal Distance expands, and this effect is consistent regardless of the subject's familiarity with the person with whom they were doing the task. Whether in the presence of a confederate or an acquaintance, individuals with greater autistic traits or higher levels of social anxiety tend to prefer greater physical distance. Conversely, our study found no significant correlations between attachment style and Interpersonal Distance, suggesting areas for further investigation. This research contributes to the understanding of how intrinsic psychological factors influence spatial behavior in social interactions.