Consumers' Responses to Reduced Personal Space in a Service Setting

This paper examines consumers’ responses to reduced personal space in a service setting. It describes two studies that investigate how users respond to restaurant tables spaced closely together. The first study evaluated consumers’ emotional responses to a projected dining experience when dining tables were spaced at one of three distances, and found that diners strongly object to closely spaced tables in the abstract. The second study tested responses to specific inter-table distances during actual dining experiences in a restaurant. Findings suggest that consumers in a real environment are less sensitive to reduced personal space than they are when asked about their feelings toward inter-table space before the service takes place. The results from this research will enhance the understanding of personal space preferences and behaviors in public spaces and may influence the design of service environments.

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