Proximity is the distance between two people. Studies show that the closer in distance two individuals are, the more chance there is of repeated contact. In addition, the more two people come in contact with each other, the greater chance there is of interpersonal attraction.
This theory contends that our attraction to another is affected by our emotions at the time of meeting. If a person is associated with a positive or negative feeling at first, that reaction sticks. This could relate to things the person actually says or does to you directly, or may have to do with situations completely different. For instance, if you meet a person when you are in a good mood, that tranfers onto them. On the other hand if you are in a bad mood, the person is seen in a negative light no matter if he or she is truly wonderful .
As humans, we have a need to be with others and socialize, and seek relationships. There are four basic motives as to why people affilate, no matter what kind of relationship they are looking for, these are:
positive stimulation- for the amusment and fun of interactions
emotional support- during the bad times, someone to lean on
social comparison- being able to look to others for a guide to how to act in a situation
attention- the hams in the group, the need to attract others to us and have them notice.
It may seem like common sense, but similar attitudes produce positive reactions to a person, while dissimilarlity leads to negative feelings. The Balance Theory by Fritz Heider is important, and is based on three states:
balance-When people agree about a topic, they have a pleasant reaction to the conversation and one another.
imbalance- if a disagreement occurs, no matter how minor, there is an unpleasant reaction. The individuals want to change the topic.
nonbalance- when two people do not care for each other enough to care whether or not they agree.
If each:
has a strong motivation to seek a relationship
has a positive response to the others personality and appearance
