Social distancing between personal belongings during the COVID-19 pandemic [version 3; peer review: 2 approved, 1 approved with reservations]
Background The COVID-19 pandemic has led to instructions and suggestions from governments and experts to maintain social (physical) distance between people to prevent aerosol transmission of the virus, which is now becoming the norm. Thus, we examined whether the pandemic extended the distance betwe...
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F1000 Research Ltd
2025-02-01
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| Online Access: | https://f1000research.com/articles/12-199/v3 |
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| author | Atsunori Ariga Kyoshiro Sasaki Yoshitaka Masuda Kohei Ueda Ayumi Ikeda Kaito Takashima Wen Guo Yuki Yamada |
| author_facet | Atsunori Ariga Kyoshiro Sasaki Yoshitaka Masuda Kohei Ueda Ayumi Ikeda Kaito Takashima Wen Guo Yuki Yamada |
| author_sort | Atsunori Ariga |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background The COVID-19 pandemic has led to instructions and suggestions from governments and experts to maintain social (physical) distance between people to prevent aerosol transmission of the virus, which is now becoming the norm. Thus, we examined whether the pandemic extended the distance between personal belongings. Methods We recruited 68 university students and instructed them to place their belongings on a long table following another participant (i.e., confederate). We measured the physical distance between the two belongings (i.e., the participant’s and the confederate’s). We collected data between June 10, 2022 and January 23, 2023. Pre-pandemic data was from Ariga (2016). Analysis was completed with one-tailed t-tests. Results Compared with the pre-pandemic results, via one-tailed t-test, the distance between the two belongings during the pandemic was significantly longer. Our results supported the hypothesis that the psychological framework for processing people’s belongings has dramatically changed during this pandemic. Conclusion This change may have been driven by social distancing practices or an increase in perceived vulnerability to disease. Our results provide new implications for future public spatial design, in other words, not only the distance between people, but also the distance between their belongings. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-833cedcb2523402db18da2e3d61eb7ff |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2046-1402 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | F1000 Research Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | F1000Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-833cedcb2523402db18da2e3d61eb7ff2025-08-20T03:12:35ZengF1000 Research LtdF1000Research2046-14022025-02-011210.12688/f1000research.130662.3177402Social distancing between personal belongings during the COVID-19 pandemic [version 3; peer review: 2 approved, 1 approved with reservations]Atsunori Ariga0Kyoshiro Sasaki1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5496-3748Yoshitaka Masuda2Kohei Ueda3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1818-8366Ayumi Ikeda4Kaito Takashima5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7489-5682Wen Guo6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5544-0033Yuki Yamada7https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1431-568XFaculty of letters, Chuo University, Hachioji, JapanFaculty of Informatics, Kansai University, Takatsuki, JapanGraduate School of Human-Environment Studies, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, JapanGraduate School of Human-Environment Studies, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, JapanGraduate School of Human-Environment Studies, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, JapanGraduate School of Human-Environment Studies, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, JapanGraduate School of Human-Environment Studies, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, JapanFaculty of Arts and Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, JapanBackground The COVID-19 pandemic has led to instructions and suggestions from governments and experts to maintain social (physical) distance between people to prevent aerosol transmission of the virus, which is now becoming the norm. Thus, we examined whether the pandemic extended the distance between personal belongings. Methods We recruited 68 university students and instructed them to place their belongings on a long table following another participant (i.e., confederate). We measured the physical distance between the two belongings (i.e., the participant’s and the confederate’s). We collected data between June 10, 2022 and January 23, 2023. Pre-pandemic data was from Ariga (2016). Analysis was completed with one-tailed t-tests. Results Compared with the pre-pandemic results, via one-tailed t-test, the distance between the two belongings during the pandemic was significantly longer. Our results supported the hypothesis that the psychological framework for processing people’s belongings has dramatically changed during this pandemic. Conclusion This change may have been driven by social distancing practices or an increase in perceived vulnerability to disease. Our results provide new implications for future public spatial design, in other words, not only the distance between people, but also the distance between their belongings.https://f1000research.com/articles/12-199/v3personal space COVID-19 social distancing perceived vulnerability to disease (PVD)eng |
| spellingShingle | Atsunori Ariga Kyoshiro Sasaki Yoshitaka Masuda Kohei Ueda Ayumi Ikeda Kaito Takashima Wen Guo Yuki Yamada Social distancing between personal belongings during the COVID-19 pandemic [version 3; peer review: 2 approved, 1 approved with reservations] F1000Research personal space COVID-19 social distancing perceived vulnerability to disease (PVD) eng |
| title | Social distancing between personal belongings during the COVID-19 pandemic [version 3; peer review: 2 approved, 1 approved with reservations] |
| title_full | Social distancing between personal belongings during the COVID-19 pandemic [version 3; peer review: 2 approved, 1 approved with reservations] |
| title_fullStr | Social distancing between personal belongings during the COVID-19 pandemic [version 3; peer review: 2 approved, 1 approved with reservations] |
| title_full_unstemmed | Social distancing between personal belongings during the COVID-19 pandemic [version 3; peer review: 2 approved, 1 approved with reservations] |
| title_short | Social distancing between personal belongings during the COVID-19 pandemic [version 3; peer review: 2 approved, 1 approved with reservations] |
| title_sort | social distancing between personal belongings during the covid 19 pandemic version 3 peer review 2 approved 1 approved with reservations |
| topic | personal space COVID-19 social distancing perceived vulnerability to disease (PVD) eng |
| url | https://f1000research.com/articles/12-199/v3 |
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