ABSTRACT
The closer two people are to each other, in terms of physical distance, the more likely they are to feel mutual attraction. The proximity-attraction link may be due to a social psychological phenomenon called the mere exposure effect, the finding that the more we are exposed to a person, idea, or stimulus, the more we like it. The most classic study on proximity, attraction, and mere exposure is the Westgate Housing Study (Festinger et al., 1950), which showed neighbours in an apartment complex were more likely to become friends with people the more they had a chance to interact. Since then, the proximity-attraction association has been replicated many times, in both intimate relationships and in other contexts.
