1. Social Origins of Attraction
By Mr Daniel Hansson

2. Question for discussion
How close does your best friend live to you?
How often do you meet with your best friend?

3. Social origins of attraction
Proximity
Familiarity

4. Proximity
Festinger (1950): Friendship in a dormitory is more likely between those who live closer to one another than those who live further away
Nahemov & Lawton (1975): In homes for college students and the elderly, the distances between rooms predicted friendship and attraction.

5. Evaluation
Information technology has enabled us to be in closer contact with those that live far away from us
It is natural that we have more friends among those that are close to us, as it gives opportunities for interaction, familiarity and getting to know each other
Proximity is a tendency but not a direct relationship
It is possible that familiarity is the underlying reason why proximity influences liking

6. Which of these two pictures of me do you prefer?

7. Familiarity Mere exposure effect: Familiarity increases liking
Zajonc (1971): Subjects evaluated photos of strangers. Those photos that appeared more often than others were rated more positively

8. Familiarity
Newcomb (1961): Roommates that were initially similar were more likely to like each other after one year. After two years, however, familiarity was the best predictor of liking.
Segal (1974): Police cadets who were assigned to their rooms and classroom seats alphabetically were more likely to rate someone as a friend who was close in the alphabet to them.

9. Evaluation Strong empirical support that familiarity breeds liking
Familiarity does not always breed liking
There are many other factors contributing to liking