Perceptions of proximity in video conferencing

Abstract

Proximity is used as a non-verbal signal in face-to-face interaction. It is unknown whether similar information may exist during desktop video conferencing and if so what factors may regulate it. An experiment was conducted to compare the relative impact of image size and the scope of the image on users' impressions of proximity. The results demonstrate that participants felt that changing the focal length (zoom) of the camera could make the remote person appear closer or further away. Participants appeared to use the image size of the remote person per se to determine their apparent proximity, rather than the proportion of the image taken by their face.