Honors Theses
Advisor
Dr. Benjamin R. Kunz
Department
Psychology
Publication Date
4-22-2026
Document Type
Honors Thesis
Abstract
Despite our certainty that we experience the world as it really is, humans' perception of the world is not accurate in its entirety. People’s biases play a significant role in their perception of their environments. Researchers have sought to determine exactly how and why human biases impact perceptions, focusing on how biases related to a target (person, animal, object, etc.) impact people’s perception of said target, more specifically, the perceived distance to that target. This is important in understanding situations where, in order to interact with (or avoid) a target person, one must perceive the physical distance between oneself and that person. This study is designed to investigate whether environments themselves may also influence the perception of interpersonal distance. This research will employ virtual reality in order to manipulate environments in which participants will make perceptual judgments about target persons. Undergraduates at the University of Dayton will be recruited to make judgments of interpersonal distance while being placed, virtually, in different environments: unpleasant/aversive vs. pleasant/benign. This work can lead to a greater understanding of how biases, not just related to people but to environments, affect interpersonal perception. By investigating the ways in which biases and stereotypes affect the ways we perceive others, we learn something about what guides problematic or unjust behaviors toward others. Social justice can be achieved through understanding how judgments that are made about people affect social perception and behavior. If it is determined that the environment has a significant impact on the judgments we make regarding people within those environments, challenging biases and stereotypes, and educating people about how their biases influence their perception and behaviors could promote prosocial behavior.
Permission Statement
This item is protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code) and may only be used for noncommercial, educational, and scholarly purposes.
Keywords
Undergraduate research
eCommons Citation
Turner, Elijah, "The Effect of the Environment on Perceived Distance" (2026). Honors Theses. 524.
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/uhp_theses/524
COinS
