Concepts of space are also culturally understood.  Personal space is the distance someone wants between himself/herself and other people in ordinary, non-intimate exchanges.  Observation and limited experimentation show that most North Americans, North Europeans, and Asians want a bigger personal space than do Latin Americans, French, Italians, and Arabs.  People who are accustomed to lots of personal space and are forced to accept close contact on a crowded elevator react in predictable and ritualistic ways – they stand stiffly and avoid eye contact with others.

Even within a culture, some people like more personal space than do others.  One study found that men took up more personal space than women did.  In many cultures, people who are of the same age and sex take less personal space than do mixed age or mixed sex groups.