Appendix A: Propinquity

Some people are considered as attractive because they are easy to access, are exposed to the other frequently and have high probability of continued interaction.

Festinger, Schacter, & Back (1950) studied propinquity in apartments and determined that those closest were more likely to be attracted or liked.

Propinquity permits attraction because of familiarity, availability and expectation of continued interaction (Vaughan & Hogg, 2005).

The Festinger physical proximity experiment found those in apartments 1 and 6 interacted frequently; 5 and 10; and those next door to eachother.

References

Festinger, L., Schachter, S., & Back, K. (1950). Social pressures in informal groups: A study of human factors in housing. New York: Harper.

Vaughan, G.M., & Hogg, M.A. (2005). Introduction to Social Psychology (4th ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Education Australia.