Neuroscientists find brain region responsible for our sense of personal space

[steven johnson]

The amygdala, a bilateral walnut sized organ in the temporal lobes, has long been associated with fear and avoidance responses. The Texax tower shooter, Charles Whitman, had a glioblastoma that was affecting his amygdala. Stimulation of the amygdala results in augmented aggressive behavior in hamsters, rats and cats.

The amygdala is thought to mediate PTSD.

Brain Damage Study Supports the Role of the Amygdala in PTSD

Patient SM, a woman with complete bilateral amygdala lesions, preferred to stand close to the experimenter. On average, control participants preferred to stand nearly twice as far away from the same experimenter.

In a finding that sheds new light on the neural mechanisms involved in social behavior, neuroscientists at the California Institute of Technology have pinpointed the brain structure responsible for our sense of personal space.

The structure, the amygdala—a pair of almond-shaped regions located in the medial temporal lobes—was previously known to process strong negative emotions, such as anger and fear, and is considered the seat of emotion in the brain.

During his years of studying her, Adolphs also noticed that the very outgoing SM is almost too friendly, to the point of "violating" what others might perceive as their own personal space. "She is extremely friendly, and she wants to approach people more than normal. It's something that immediately becomes apparent as you interact with her," says Kennedy.
Neuroscientists find brain region responsible for our sense of personal space

[DURHAM D]

1. I can tell you where my sense of personal space comes from -

its from growing up on the great plains. If someone gets within about 10 miles of me I start to notice.

[Warpy]

2. Different cultures have very different personal space requirements

and it's fun to see someone from this culture talking to someone from a much more intimate culture. They end up doing a little dance as the American tries to increase the space and the other person tries to decrease it.

It's not terrible if you know what's going on and consciously accommodate it. It's just something you get used to if you work with a lot of people from very different cultures.

[Odin2005]

3. LOL, as an Aspie I deal with that from my own culture!

:rofl:

[Festivito]

4. We have this with the Middle Eastern culture in Michigan.

ME culture talks at about a foot of face space, where the Euro-descendent's like about two to three feet. The ME thinks one doesn't like him as one moves away from the closeness. The non-ME thinks the ME has a problem.

After we point it out though, it becomes a non-issue. I think it's being taught to newcomers. I see many new MEs constantly, and have not noticed the proximity problem in a while.

Maybe I'm the one used to it now.