Flirtology - Fearless Flirting Module Six | Page 13

P

sychologists have known for decades
that simply being close in physical
proximity to another person increases
liking and attraction for that person.

College students in dorm housing liked
their neighbors more than people
living on other floors or buildings, and
male students liked familiar women
more than strangers -- simply for
appearing in their classroom
throughout the semester, despite never speaking.
Again, this is what we call the ‘mere exposure effect’.
The more time spent near someone, the more people feel that
they ‘know’ that person, and feel comfortable being around
him/her. This feeling of familiarity contributes to attraction.
1) Festinger, L., Schachter, S., & Back, K. (1950). Social pressures in informal
groups: A study of human factors in housing. Stanford, CA: Stanford University
Press.
2) Moreland, R. L., & Beach, S. R. (1992). Exposure effects in the classroom: The
development of affinity among students. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 28, 255–276.
3) Moreland, R. L., & Zajonc, R. B. (1982). Exposure effects in person perception:
Familiarity, similarity, and attraction. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology,
18, 395–415.