Physical distancing and the perception of interpersonal distance in the COVID-19 crisis

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been mandated to keep enlarged distances from others. We interviewed 136 German subjects over five weeks from the end of March to the end of April 2020 during the first wave of infections about their preferred interpersonal distance (IPD) before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the pandemic, subjects adapted to distance requirements and preferred a larger IPD. This enlarged IPD was judged to persist after the crisis partially. People anticipated keeping more IPD to others even if there was no longer any risk of a SARS-CoV-2 infection. We also sampled two follow-up measurements, one in August, after the first wave had been flattened, and one in October 2020, at the beginning of the second wave. We discuss our findings in light of proxemic theory and an indicator for socio-cultural adaptation beyond the course of the pandemic.