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social
You like the people you encounter most frequently.
Physical proximity is a stronger predictor of friendship than shared interests.
In a 1950 study of university housing, residents were significantly more likely to befriend those who lived on the same floor or near stairwells. Frequent, unplanned interactions reduce perceived distance and increase rapport. You gravitate toward the path of least social resistance.
Your closest relationships are often products of geography.
Where this comes from
- Study
- Festinger, Schachter, & Back, 1950
- What the check found
- The Festinger, Schachter, and Back study is the foundational work on the propinquity effect. While the provided text lacks the quote, the claim aligns with the core sociological consensus regarding the study.
- Confidence
- Solid, with limits
Related
One of these every day, and every one names the study it came from. When a finding is contested, it says so.