Violations of interpersonal spacing expectations have been demonstrated to influence a receiver's perception of the credibility, attraction, and influence of an initiator of such violations. Recent research on distraction and on personal space points to several potential strategies a persuader may adopt when trying to influence another individual. Research must first establish normative distances between interactants; once such norms have been established, deviations from those norms should produce predictable communication outcomes. Distraction offers a potential theoretical base from which the effects of violations of interpersonal distancing expectations can be predicted. A proposed model suggests that distance and reward serve as distractors with predictable results. Future research is needed to test the robustness of the model. Research is needed to establish that interpersonal distancing violations are distracting, to establish reliable and valid measures of distraction and counterarguing, to further test the model of interpersonal distancing expectations, and to answer the question of whether a threat threshold exists. (Author/GT)