Space

:This article is about space — the scientific and philosophical concepts. For other uses of space, see space (disambiguation).

The psychology of space

The way in which space is perceived is an area which psychologists first began to study in the middle of the 19th century, and it is now thought by those concerned with such studies to be a distinct branch within psychology. Psychologists analysing the perception of space are concerned with how recognition of an objects physical appearance or its interactions are perceived.

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Other, more specialised topics studied include amodal perception and object permanence. The perception of surroundings is important due to its necessary relevance to survival, especially with regards to hunting and self preservation. "Veridical perception" is the term used to describe the processing of the information provided by the sensory organs to an extent whereby it allows interaction with the actuality of that perceived.

Related Topics:
Amodal perception - Object permanence - Perception - Hunting - Self preservation

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It is worth noting that the way we perceive space may not necessarily be representative of the actuality of space.

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Anxiety and space

Space can also cause anxiety in people, with agoraphobia manifesting itself in some people as a fear of open spaces, and claustrophobia being the fear of enclosed spaces. Astrophobia is the fear of celestial space, Kenophobia is the fear of empty spaces and spacephobia is the fear of outer space.

Related Topics:
Anxiety - Agoraphobia - Claustrophobia - Outer space

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Personal space

The term personal space refers to the amount of space a person likes to maintain between their own person and that of other people.

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