Social ethology of acute psychiatric patients. The influence of sex, hospital environment, and spatial proximity.
Naturalistic observations were used to monitor overt behavior in acutely ill psychiatric patients during hospitalization. Patients were observed on an individual basis in three different hospital locales: the inpatient wards, and the occupational and recreational therapy areas. The analysis was designed to determine which behaviors varied across locations as a function of the distance separating subjects and their nearest neighbors. Sex-related differences in behavior were also examined. Results showed: a) a modal distance of 1.0 to 1.5 meters separating individuals in all three locations; b) closer interpersonal distances between individuals in occupational therapy; c) significant differences in the frequency of selected behaviors in different functional areas; and d) closer interpersonal distances for females and a higher incidence of affiliative behavior by females toward males at close distances. Results are discussed in terms of environmental influences on behavioral responsiveness and sex differences in sociospatial behavior.
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004777:Environment; D005010:Ethology; D005260:Female; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D012919:Social Behavior; D013037:Spatial Behavior