<P> Within the realm of social psychology, the proximity principle accounts for the tendency for individuals to form interpersonal relations with those who are close by . Theodore Newcomb first documented this effect through his study of the acquaintance process, which demonstrated how people who interact and live close to each other will be more likely to develop a relationship . Leon Festinger also illustrates the proximity principle and propinquity (the state of being close to someone or something) by studying the network of attraction within a series of residential housing units at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Both of these studies provide evidence to support the fact that people who encounter each other more frequently tend to develop stronger relationships . </P> <P> There are two main reasons why people form groups with others nearby rather than people further away . First, human beings like things that are familiar to them . Second, the more people come into contact with one another, the more likely the interaction will cultivate a relationship . Also, proximity promotes interaction between individuals and groups, which ends up leading to liking and disliking between the groups or individuals . The aforementioned idea is accurate only insofar as the increased contact does not unveil detestable traits in either person . If detestable traits are unveiled, familiarity will in fact breed contempt . It could be that interaction, rather than propinquity, that creates attraction . </P> <P> This concept of proximity is applicable to one's everyday life since it has some dictation over the people one will meet and befriend within their life, as outlined in the aforementioned studies . The formation of friendships was further studied utilizing the population of 336 adolescents within a small and geographically isolated Swedish town . Through the completion of their study, the researchers concluded that social foci that provide constant and continual interaction among the same participants yielded a strong effect on friendship formation . The most notable social foci included attending the same school or one's own neighborhood, as these are both settings in which one is within a close proximity to the same people on numerous occasions . </P> <P> In contrast, going to separate schools does not provide one the opportunity to meet the students of that school and therefore one would not be able to formulate a friendship with that person . However, this instance is mitigated if two people from differing schools live in the same neighborhood and therefore are still provided the opportunity of continuous contact outside of school . </P>

Proximity is the most important force in starting friendships