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Proximity and Peership: Bases of Balance in Interpersonal Attraction
Abstract
Balance theory is tested by repeated analysis, for four suceeding years, of the matrix of interpersonal relations among the residents of a new 320-man dormitory. As the usual static consideration of balance predicts, students recognize and like others who are near them, both in physical distance (proximity) and in college class (peership). Most important, however-if little tested-are the dynamic aspects of balance whose evaluation requires tracing individual pairs through time. Doing this shows that between room-mates and others living near to one another, attraction changes less when it is initially high; between those more distant, attraction changes less when initially low. Thus, for everyone, attraction is more stable. Over the dormitory's first four years, similitary of physical location and of college class continues to predict attraction; but between more proximate persons, prediction declines in later years, as frienships increasingly span distance and class.
... This tendency might be intensified by the fact that individuals tend to choose their living environment in relation to their socioeconomic status [38]. Another very consistent predictor of social ties is physical location [39][40][41], following the assumption that two individuals who are physically in close proximity exhibit greater geographic homophily [31]. A recent study conducted in a CCRC showed that older adults who shared the same hallway were more likely to like each other [42]. ...
... In line with the previous research elaborated above, we expected individuals who share similar demographic characteristics [31,32], health characteristics [64], and/or social position indicators [65] to be more likely to form close social ties to each other. Consistent with past research [39][40][41], physical location characteristics, including CCRC's institutional culture, wing proximity, floor proximity, and room proximity were examined as potential predictors of the presence of close ties (i.e., a type of homophily). It is important to note that some aspects of our hypotheses were not as grounded in past research as others, as not all variables have been previously examined in relation to the existence of social ties among older adults. ...
... Besides the unique characteristics of the particular CCRC, only wing proximity was identified as an important and consistent predictor of the presence of close social ties. This finding is consistent with past research conducted in CCRCs [42] as well as with research conducted in a variety of other populations [39][40][41]. This clearly supports the assertion that geographic proximity matters and potentially facilitates the creation of close social ties. ...
This study examines two theoretical explanations for the existence of close ties among continuing care retirement community residents: the attractiveness theory, which suggests that residents who possess certain attributes are more likely to be perceived as appealing to others; and the homophily theory, which argues that individuals are more likely to have close ties with people who share similar attributes. As a variant of the homophily theory, we also examined whether sharing a physical location makes the existence of certain connections more likely. Data from four continuing care retirement communities were used. To test the attractiveness theory, correlations between the number of individuals who named a person as a significant contact (ego’s in-degree) and ego attributes were examined. To test the homophily theory, the median value of existing ties was compared against all possible social ties as though they were randomly formed. Finally, to further test the role of the institutional culture against various motivations that drive social ties—attractiveness and homophily—we used link prediction models with random forests. In support of the homophily theory, beyond the institutional culture, the only consistent predictor of the existence of close ties among residents was sharing a wing in the retirement community (geographic proximity). Therefore, we discuss the role of the physical location in the lives of older adults.
... Proximity and physical closeness increase the likelihood of forming relationships (Priest & Sawyer, 1967). People have more frequent encoun ters with those who are close by. ...
... People have more frequent encoun ters with those who are close by. In a classic study examining the effect of proximity on interpersonal attraction, Priest and Sawyer (1967) studied the interactions of students in a dormitory for two semesters. The closer in proximity that students lived to their peers, the more they recognized and liked (were interpersonally attracted to) their peers. ...
... Even in the second semester when students recognized peers who lived on the other side of the building, those peers were still liked less than peers who lived closer to the students. The results showed that proximity was a strong predictor of attraction (Priest & Sawyer, 1967). ...
Researchers of psychological sciences are urged to adequately address cultural diversity within their research. In this paper, we discuss limitations to current ways cultural considerations are discussed in psychological research and offer evidence-informed recommendations for cultural responsiveness at each stage of the research process. Implications for decentering psychological research are discussed for researcher preparedness, project development, methodology, and drawing conclusions. These recommendations target researchers in the United States, but principles may be applied to other nations.
... 36 The results of the NL regression are reported in Table (2.3). 37 Column I shows the results of the restricted model on a large sample, while column II displays the results of the full model with the house value di¤erence variables. ...
... Comparing the estimated parameters of the inclusive values, 1 l , only the nesting structure reported provides the most appropriate value, which is between 0 and 1 (Greene 1997). 37 Results of the hedonic price function are reported in Appendix A2. The set of price indices (GEOPIND) constructed using the estimates of the hedonic function enter the NL regression as one of the explanatory variables. ...
... The data set used in this paper consists of 37 To test the model performance in out-of-sample predictions, it is desirable to carry out a cross validation using a di¤erent data set than that used for estimation. ...
... Theories of offline friendships have yielded several factors that determine the quality of offline friendships. Three determinants have received particular attention in the literature: (a) proximity (e.g., Priest & Sawyer, 1967), (b) similarity (e.g., Duck, 1975;Kandel, 1978;Wellman & Gulia, 1997), and (c) social attraction (e.g., Berndt, Hawkins, & Hoyle, 1986;. Proximity refers to the geographic closeness between friends . ...
... Proximity. Research on offline friendships has shown that the closer the physical distance between subjects and their target friends, the more likely the friendship will be a success Mesch & Talmud, 2006Priest & Sawyer, 1967). Geographically close people become friends more easily not only because they can interact more easily (Berscheid & Walster, 1969;Schutte & Light, 1978), but also because they have more opportunity to exchange information between one another. ...
... In contrast to our expectations, our results showed no effect of proximity on the quality of friendship in any of the three types of friendships. In contrast to earlier research on offline friendships Priest & Sawyer, 1967), proximity did not predict the quality of offline friendships in our study. This inconsistent result may be due to the fact that all our respondents are members of social network sites, and therefore, proximity does not matter, neither in online friendships nor in mixed-mode and offline friendships. ...
... McCroskey's communication motivation approach suggests that individuals have various reasons that encourage them to communicate or initiate communication such as (i) seeking affinity, (ii) seeking information, (iii) seeking decisions/consensus, (iv) confirming beliefs, and (v) expressing feelings. Moreover, Priest and Sawyer (1967) study proposed that proximity affects one's eagerness and readiness to converse and exchange ideas in English. For example, in their study, they found that school children were found to be more willing to communicate with their classmates next to them. ...
... The norm for group discussion is (>89 for high and <57 for low). This finding is coherent with Priest and Sawyer (1967). It reveals that proximity plays a great role in willingness to communicate (WTC). ...
Willingness to communicate (WTC) as introduced by McCroskey and Bear (1985) has developed and been perceived by many as a critical field. Unfortunately, there is a noticeable gap in research on the willingness to communicate (WTC) in English among ESL teachers in the Malaysian context. This study aims to investigate the ESL teachers’ willingness to communicate in English in terms of gender and school locations. The four constructs of communication in WTC are group discussions, interpersonal, public, and talking in meetings. Through both criterion and convenience sampling, 250 ESL teachers from twenty-five schools were chosen for this research. Survey questionnaire with a total of 20 items adopted from McCroskey (1992) was used as the data collection instrument. Findings reveal that ESL teachers' willingness to communicate in English is generally high and that the teachers were more willing to converse and exchange ideas orally in English during the meeting rather than in group or public. Female participants were significantly different in their overall willingness to communicate as they were more willing to communicate in groups and public. The within-group comparison also shows that school locations (urban and rural) affect ESL teachers' willingness to communicate in English. The findings also suggest that schools should encourage more ESL teachers to participate in activities such as debates, drama, public speaking, English language clubs/society, and empower them by providing professional development workshops or training.
... Apart from super-max institutions designed to eliminate (or minimize) social life and interactions, residents in the typical prison unit must share housing spaces and congregate in shared areas where contact is hard to avoid, and trust is difficult to establish (Jewkes 2005;van Hoven and Sibley, 2008). By housing individuals together while limiting their contact with the outside world, prisons are fertile ground for relationships, groups, and power hierarchies (Gaes et al. 2002;Priest and Sawyer 1967). ...
Objectives
Despite renewed research interest in prison social organization, little is known about how relationships that constitute the prison social system develop and change. The current study aims to understand the processes that link friendship and power within a prison unit over time.Method
We examine longitudinal data on friendship and attributions of power collected from 274 residents in a Pennsylvania medium-security prison unit. We use a stochastic actor-oriented model to evaluate selection mechanisms that influence these relations and ascertain their temporal association.ResultsWe find different mechanisms responsible for friendship selections and power attributions. Friendships are primarily driven by attribute-based mechanisms, while power attributions are driven by network-based properties. Nevertheless, these two facets of social structure are interdependent, with friendships operating as building blocks for the development of power hierarchy in prison.Conclusion
By conceptualizing social structure as a multidimensional, fluid entity, we identify the unique roles that power and friendship relations play in recreating the prison social system. We maintain that understanding social structure in prison settings can provide insight into institutional adjustments and post-release expectations.
... A large body of literature has demonstrated positive links between physical proximity and several interpersonal variables (Back et al. 2008;Preciado et al. 2011;Priest and Sawyer 1967), such as compliance rates and perceptions of warmth, friendliness, and social affiliation (Ernest and Cooper 1974;Fay and Maner 2012;IJzerman and Semin 2009;Patterson and Sechrest 1970). Lay beliefs and books on personal selling techniques further suggest that employees in sales and service settings may benefit from being in customers' immediate vicinity, given the positive financial outcomes proximity is assumed to produce, beyond customers' perceptions of employee warmth, attentiveness, and friendliness (Otterbring et al. 2021d;Smith and Seymour 2014). ...
This paper presents a critical review of published findings pertaining to the physical proximity between employees and customers in various sales and service settings. Following an overview of this stream of research, reflections are then offered on how the concepts of personal space and physical proximity may have changed in terms of their financial and well-being-related effects as a function of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the risk of infection in interpersonal interactions, and despite the affiliative aspects associated with physical proximity, recent recipes for success-as advocated by academics-may have a negative impact on multiple crucial metrics in a post-pandemic world, such that employees' physical proximity to customers may eventually come with a wide array of costly consequences. The article concludes with a set of future research directions.
... Physical proximity allows for chance encounters between individuals and creates opportunities for them to become acquainted with one another (Easterbrook & Vignoles, 2014). Thus, it enhances the likelihood of interpersonal attraction (Blau, 1977;Priest & Sawyer, 1967;Segal, 1974) and is strongly correlated with friendship development (e.g., Festinger, Schachter, & Back, 1950;Korte & Lin, 2012;Tse, Dasborough, & Ashkanasy, 2008). Physical proximity is especially important for interpersonal attraction and friendship development between dissimilar others (Nahemow & Lawton, 1975). ...
Interpersonal friendships are a ubiquitous feature of everyday life and epitomise our gregarious nature. Friendships hold numerous physical and psychological benefits that allow people to achieve both existential and instrumental objectives and promote overall well-being and longevity. This chapter explores the important role of friendships between members of different groups (cross-group friendships) in the amelioration of group-based prejudice and the promotion of greater intergroup understanding, cooperation, and tolerance. It begins by briefly describing the motives underlying friendship formation more generally and elaborating on the important physical and psychological benefits of interpersonal friendships. Then, drawing on the interpersonal friendship literature (which has typically explored friendship within the context of individuals who share a salient group identity – or same-group friendships), this chapter focuses on the importance of cross-group friendships for promoting more positive intergroup relations. It also discusses the processes fundamental to the development and maintenance of cross-group friendships and highlights key differences between same- and cross-group friendships along the way. It also explores the psychological and contextual factors that may inhibit the development and maintenance of cross-group friendships, as well as how these can be mitigated. Finally, this chapter considers the question of whether friendships in general (and cross-group friendships in particular) are always positive and beneficial, before concluding with suggestions for future research.
... Most environmental protection activities will face a time conflict between protecting long-term interests and sacrificing current interests. Similarly, the space distance and the social distance are often regarded as accompanying each other (Priest and Sawyer, 1967). ...
This study applied construal level theory (CLT) to the perceived psychological distance of climate change to investigate Taiwanese people’s psychological distance perception of climate change. It also considered how this psychological distance perception of climate change and other crucial psychological factors (i.e., values, ecological worldviews, and environmental concerns) may influence people’s pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs). A national self-administered questionnaire survey was performed in Taiwan and 733 responses were analyzed empirically. Structural equation modeling analysis indicated that an individual’s altruistic values are positively related to his or her ecological worldviews. An individual’s ecological worldviews are positively related to his or her psychological distance perception of climate change and environmental concerns regarding the negative consequences of climate change. Such environmental concerns positively motivate engagement in PEBs. However, an individual’s psychological distance perception of climate change does not positively relate to his or her PEBs.
... Moreover, the relationships were closer in the class where seat assignments were not changed. Similar positive associations between physical proximity and friendship have been found in a variety of natural settings, including dormitories (Priest & Sawyer, 1967), married student housing complexes (Festinger, Schachter, & Back, 1950), and business offices (Schutte & Light, 1978). We are more likely to develop friendships with persons in close proximity because such relationships provide interpersonal rewards at the lowest cost. ...
The objective of the present study was to investigate whether Interpersonal Attraction of Bangladeshi students of Dhaka city varies based on gender, religion, and economic status. A standardized instrument, named Interpersonal Attraction Scale of McCroskey and McCain (1974), was used to collect data by purposive sampling from 300 undergraduate students of different universities of Dhaka city. This scale was divided in three categories-Social Attraction, Physical Attraction, and Task Attraction. By analyzing the results of the present study, it was found that social attraction is significant in p < .001 according to economic status that means middle class students were more socially attracted than lower and higher classes students. physical attraction is significant at p <.05 according to economic status that means middle class students were more physically attracted than lower and higher classes students. Negative significant difference between Hinduism and Muslim students at p < .05 that means Muslim students posse higher mean than Hinduism students in social attraction.
... Whereas the previous sections have explored the mechanisms that likely govern team formation ties, in this section we consider the relative strength of each mechanism as a force of attraction in drawing people to work together. Although little research has compared and contrasted absolute, relative, relational, and situational attraction mechanisms, one clear finding from research on attraction is the profound effect of proximity on interpersonal relationships (Back et al., 2008;Festinger et al., 1950;Priest & Sawyer, 1967). The proximity effect can even overpower other influential forces of attraction and has been shown to account for friendships that disobey similarity-attraction and balance (e.g., Nahemow & Lawton, 1975;Wimmer & Lewis, 2010). ...
Contemporary teams are self-assembling with increasing frequency, meaning the component members are choosing to join forces with some degree of agency rather than being assigned to work with one another. However, the majority of the teams literature up until this point has focused on randomly assigned or staffed teams. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to investigate how people do form into teams and how people should form into teams. Specifically, we utilized a sample of digital traces from a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (N = 1,568) to evaluate the bases for and performance implications of team self-assembly. The results indicated that self-assembled teams form via three mechanisms: homophily, familiarity, and proximity. Moreover, results of the trace data analyses indicated that successful and unsuccessful teams were homogeneous in terms of different characteristics, and successful teams formed based on friendship more often than unsuccessful teams did.
... Similarly, there are indications from previous studies that social proximity and the frequency of previous interactions might impact the offering of cooperative accounts. In general, researchers have found that individuals in closer proximity to one another tend to find each other, over time, to be more appealing than those with whom they have less contact, although frequency does at times also contribute to the intensity of dislike that people have for another (see Priest and Sawyer 1967). Aspects of social exchange theory are problematic (e.g., Blumer 1981:155). ...
The analytical concept of accounts has long presented sociologists with an excellent tool for the study of talk. Nonetheless, studies of accounts often neglect the fact that cooperation is common when an account for untoward behavior is constructed. Many studies tend to flatten the process of how accounts are created by routinely describing them as being "offered" by offenders and then "evaluated" by reproachers. We assume that accounts are often negotiated between parties as a means of avoiding conflict and preserving a relationship. As such, this paper develops the concept of cooperative accounts that are offered to (or projected upon) offenders as a means of explaining their untoward behavior. While also examining hostile accounts, this paper concentrates on developing the cooperative account in order to investigate more fully Scott and Lyman's (1968) argument that accounts are crucial for managing conflict and maintaining social order. Because offering cooperative accounts to others is a routine social interaction their examination provides an opportunity to reanchor the study of accounts back into the symbolic interactionist tradition. © 2017 Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction. All rights reserved.
... McCroskey (2006) also investigated the reasons that made an individual decide to initiate communication with a particular person. An interesting study carried out by Priest and Sawyer (1967) concluded that proximity plays a great role in choosing pairs among 25,000 university students. The same was noticed among school children, who normally choose to talk to their classmates next to them simply because they are next to them. ...
Willingness to Communicate (WTC) in English has become a field of interest since the construct was introduced by McCroskey and Baer in 1985. This study, investigated 230 trainee teachers' Willingness to Communicate in English with a focus on their Academic Motivation and Their use of English outside the classroom. Gender, nationality, ethnic group, specialization and years of study at the Faculty of Education were considered while exploring the three mentioned variables. The results of the study revealed that participants preferred to initiate communication in English with friends rather than acquaintances or strangers even though the interview results showed they were willing to communicate in English with strangers more than individual friends or groups of friends from the same ethnic group. The findings indicated that there were significant differences based on gender and nationality in UEC. There were significant differences among participants in WTC and UEC based on their ethnic group and specialization. Participants from different years in the Faculty of Education were significantly different in WTC, AM and UEC. The correlation was positive between WTC and both UEC and AM. The results of regression analysis showed that the most effective determiner of Willingness to Communicate in English is participants "Use of English outside the Classroom. Exposure to the English language from an early age in addition to family support of the use of English shaped the participants" view of the English language and determined their competency. Based on the findings a better understanding of trainee teachers "cognitive abilities, attitudes about self and university, as well as their language skills would help in improving their WTC in English. Changing classroom environment and grouping technique to avoid putting students from the same ethnicity in the same group can ensure that the only language used will be English. Providing opportunities outside the classroom for communicating in English through English language clubs, journeys to English speaking countries, debates, drama, songs and free writing competitions can help them communicate in English away from the stress caused by curriculum based activities linked to credits and grades. Furthermore, communication between faculty and home is important to understand better factors that may affect trainee teachers" Willingness to Communicate in English.
... Hall's (1966) classic work on conversational distances suggests that in North American culture, the distance ranging from 0 to 18 inches is the "intimate" zone, reserved generally for intimate interaction with close relational partners. Mehrabian (1969a) contended that close interpersonal distances are related to liking under most circumstances, and early empirical research showed that close distances are related to positive interpersonal attitudes (Mehrabian & Ksionsky, 1970), liking, and friendship (Priest & Sawyer, 1967). Mehrabian (1969a) also suggested, however, that close distances can lead to less liking and intimacy under certain circumstances. ...
... The proximity principle refers to the increased likelihood of people forming social bonds and establishing group cohesion when they are in frequent physical contact. Evidence for this phenomenon has been found in campus boarding facilities (Marmaros & Sacerdote, 2006;Newcomb, 1961;Priest & Sawyer, 1967, Rubin & Shenker, 1978, and has been associated with increased disclosure (Rubin & Shenker, 1978), which may explain the enhanced support. As workers in isolated environments, such as remote miners, experience a similar living environment, this theoretical perspective could help explain this phenomenon. ...
The aim of this ethnographic study was to explore the experience of stress and remoteness amongst miners. Nineteen mining employees participated in semi-structured interviews; 11 remote miners were interviewed at their place of work in a South Australian mining company operating a fly-in/fly-out (FIFO) roster structure. Comparative perspectives were obtained from an additional eight miners working in Australia and the Philippines also operating within a FIFO roster, and Canada and Sweden where miners lived in neighbouring mining communities. We used a grounded theory approach and the job demands resources framework to identify the job demands, job resources and outcomes unique to mining work. Our analysis revealed that work stress was a common experience amongst mining workers, with the potential to manifest into impaired psychological well-being and sleep. Work pressure and environmental exposure were identified as the most prominent job demands. Remote workers additionally experienced work-family and work-life conflict. In relation to resources, remote miners reported a unique experience of social support. Remote miners frequently work away from the family which strains familial relationships. Facilitated by increased proximity, co-workers assume an intensified supportive role than would typically be provided by friends and family at home. Safety culture was identified as an upstream organisational factor that may precede or mitigate work stress and poor health outcomes.
... McCroskey (2006) also investigated the reasons that made an individual decide to initiate communication with a particular person. An interesting study carried out by (Priest and Sawyer, 1967) concluded that proximity plays a great role in choosing pairs among 25,000 university students. The same was noticed among school children, who normally choose to talk to their classmates next to them simply because they are next to them. ...
... In the field of social psychology the proximity principle refers to the increased likelihood of people forming social bonds and establishing group cohesion when they are in frequent physical contact. Since the 1960s research has investigated the phenomenon in terms of geographical proximity, largely in studies of friendship formation amongst university students living in campus boarding facilities [21][22][23], but the theory has also been investigated in terms of interpersonal similarity as a form of proximity [24]. Proximity in university dorm-rooms was additionally associated with increased disclosure [23], which may facilitate supportive discussion. ...
This paper examines a loss spiral model (i.e., reciprocal relationships) between work-family conflict and depression, moderated by co-worker support. We expected that the moderation effect due to co-worker support would be evident among those working in isolation (i.e., mining workers) due to a greater level of intragroup attraction and saliency attributable to the proximity effects. We used a two wave panel study and data from a random population sample of Australian employees (n = 2793, [n = 112 mining, n = 2681 non-mining]). Using structural equation modelling we tested the reciprocal three way interaction effects. In line with our theory, co-worker support buffered the reciprocal relationship between WFC and depression, showing a protective effect in both pathways. These moderation effects were found in the mining industry only suggesting a proximity component moderates the social support buffer hypothesis (i.e., a three way interaction effect). The present paper integrates previous theoretical perspectives of stress and support, and provides insight into the changing dynamics of workplace relationships.
... These studies can be classified into two categories. The first category investigates how distance between two people is associated with the formation of a social tie between them (Allen and Fustfeld 1975;Festinger, Schachter, and Back 1950;Kahn and McGaughey 1977;Kraut, Egido, and Galegher 1988;Lee et al. 2010;Priest and Sawyer 1967 although the definition of distance varies: the number of turns (Wineman, Kabo, and Davis 2008;Penn, Desyllas, and Vaughan 1999), the number of spaces (Toker and Gray 2008), and walking distance (Sailer and McCulloh 2012). ...
In spite of growing interest in the physical environment???s role in better communication and collaboration in knowledge-intensive organizations, far too little attention has been paid to quantitative methods for describing and analyzing micro-geography of the workplace. Three essays in this dissertation explores novel methods for describing a spatial layout and analyzing its effect on organizational communications.
The first essay???s main question is how concentration of movement fosters diverse communication in the space. We articulate the concept of confluence and propose a new metric, sociospatial betweenness to measure the confluence of a space. Sociospatial betweenness of a space was found to be positively associated with the diversity of communication partners among a group of professionals in a manufacturing company; in contrast, traditional spatial betweenness did not show such an association.
The second essay addresses how exposure between members of a dyad increases the chance of research collaboration. The essay proposes and develops a novel metric, zone overlap, measuring exposure, the likelihood of mutual encounter between two people, based on the location of one???s workstation and commonly used facilities. We collected administrative data on a sample of research scientists working at two biomedical research buildings with different layouts. We found that increasing path overlap is associated with increases in collaborations in both buildings. In contrast, traditional metrics such as walking distance and straight-line distance influence outcome measures in only one of the research buildings.
The third essay introduces a novel approach for subspace decomposition that can be used for the two new metrics, zone overlap and sociospatial betweenness, proposed in the two previous essays. Although spatial decomposition is one of the essential processes for the analysis of building layout, no new rigorous decomposition has been proposed for more than a decade until this study. We demonstrated that the new method successfully addresses the problems of traditional methods. The essay introduced the modularity function as a quality function to evaluate the goodness of spatial decomposition. Previous decomposition methods so far have rarely paid attention to the evaluation of decomposition.
... Hall's (1966) classic work on conversational distances suggests that in North American culture, the distance ranging from 0 to 18 inches is the "intimate" zone, reserved generally for intimate interaction with close relational partners. Mehrabian (1969a) contended that close interpersonal distances are related to liking under most circumstances, and early empirical research showed that close distances are related to positive interpersonal attitudes (Mehrabian & Ksionsky, 1970), liking, and friendship (Priest & Sawyer, 1967). Mehrabian (1969a) also suggested, however, that close distances can lead to less liking and intimacy under certain circumstances. ...
... The purpose of the present research is to examine whether, with the help of proximity, experimentally induced closeness can serve as the basis for a long term friendship and to reduce homesickness. Previous research suggests a positive association between physical proximity and friendship development (Byrne, 1961;Festinger, Schacter, & Back, 1950;Priest & Sawyer, 1967;Schutte & Light, 1978). The results of this research suggest that individuals are more likely to develop friendships with someone who is more, versus less, physically proximate to them because it is easier and less effortful to talk with someone nearby. ...
Every community in the world responds to death and loss in unique ways. Funeral customs and ceremonies vary across different cultures worldwide. The study aimed at establishing how these rituals contribute to the psychological well-being of the bereaved. It also sought to establish the strengths and weaknesses of these rituals on the bereaved. The study focused on establishing and understanding the effects of the Batsotso mourning rituals and ascertaining their applicability in grief and bereavement counseling. The research narrowed down to the different rituals performed during the mourning period among the Batsotso people with the aim of generalizing the results to other Kenyan communities. Batsotso is one of the Luhya dialects, a tribe that inhabits Kakamega County in Kenya. The study used descriptive research design. The data was collected by the use of questionnaires, interview and observation. The target population for this study was 400 families from Butsotso who had experienced death in the last three years. The sample size of 80 participants was selected through simple random sampling. The questionnaires were given to adults and children while the interview guide was administered on adults who had attained at least fifty years of age. The researchers conducted a pilot study where 20 respondents who were not part of the main sample were given the research instruments. This was meant to establish the validity and reliability of the instruments. Results from the study were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative techniques and interpretation presented in form of charts and tables. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences was used in the analysis of quantitative data. The research was guided by three theories. The theories include Bowlbys theory of attachment, Kubler Ross grief theory and Rondos’ theory on grief process. The study concluded that there is relationship between the Batsotso mourning rituals and the psychological well-being of the mourners. The study recommends that Batsotso people should practice mourning rituals which have therapeutic and psychological purpose as they help them to cope with death. Batsotso people should further shun the mourning practices which do not have psychological importance as they do not help them to cope with death. The study finally recommends the continuation of therapeutic Batsotso mourning rituals as they lead to psychological well-being of the mourners.
... Research suggests that proximity is the basic element in nearly every relationship (Priest and Sawyer 1967). Physical proximity (being physically close) increases the likelihood of communication, which in turn increases the likelihood that social relationships will develop (Monge et al. 1985). ...
This article explores the relative influence of individual and network-level effects on the emergence of online social relationships. using network modeling and data drawn from logs of social behavior inside the virtual world Second Life, we combine individual-and network level theories into an integrated model of online social relationship formation. Results reveal that time spent online and the network pressure toward balance (individuals tending to form relationships with others who have relationships in common) predict the emergence of online relationship ties, while gender, age, proximity, homophily (the tendency of individuals to form relationships among people with similar traits), and preferential attachment are not significant predictors within the observed networks. We discuss these results in light of existing research on online social relationships and describe how digital data and network analytics enable novel insights about the emergence of online social relationships.
... International Journal of Economics and Finance Vol. 4, No. 9;2012 52 Note 3. In the sociology literature, the characteristics that determine households' similarities are measured or proxied by age, race, sex, income, occupation, education, and family size (for the potential reciprocated exchange of childcare). See Priest and Sawyer (1967), Stutz (1973), Sampson, Morenoff, and Earls (1999), Clark (1986Clark ( , 1991, Hagestad and Uhlenberg (2005), and Coleman (1990). ...
This paper examines the importance of social interactions on a household's location decision. The theory argues that individuals' utility will be greater when socially interacting with similar others. The hypothesis that a household desires to find a good community match is tested through the application of a discrete residential location choice model. In addition, this paper also tests Tiebout's hypothesis that households search for a community where their benefits from local public goods will exceed their local tax costs. The findings tend to support both hypotheses, indicating that a household prefers neighbors with a similar socio-economic background and somewhat larger houses.
... For example, Festinger and colleagues found that people who had to pass the entrances of others' homes in order to reach their own received more friendship ratings from other residents than did those who could enter their homes directly from the street. Festinger and colleagues explained their findings by suggesting that the built environment can structure RUNNING HEAD: The built environment, interpersonal bonds, and well-being people's movements and facilitate coincidental meetings between people (Henning & Lieberg, 1996), which can then develop into interpersonal relationships (see also Granovette, 1973;Greenbaum, 1982, Kuo, Sullivan, Coley, & Brunson, 1998Nahemow & Powell, 1975;Priest & Sawyer, 1967). However, Festinger and colleagues did not measure the frequency of coincidental interactions between the residents, nor did they study the develop ment of friendships over time, leaving important questions unanswered. ...
Despite its omnipresence, the influence of the built environment on human psychology is not well understood. In a five-wave longitudinal study, we investigated whether physical design features within shared student accommodation predicted the frequency of coincidental meetings between new flatmates, and whether these meetings predicted the strength of their interpersonal bonds and psychological well-being. Multilevel latent growth modelling on responses from 462 new university residents supported our hypotheses: Respondents living in flats with design features that encouraged the use of communal areas—a shared common area and an absence of ensuite toilets—reported unintentionally meeting their flatmates more frequently within their flats. This in turn predicted the initial strength of their interpersonal bonds with their flatmates, which in turn positively predicted their well-being. These effects were maintained throughout the ten-week study. Our findings provide an empirical basis for the development of shared housing designed to foster positive relationships and well-being among residents.
... 24 The very fact of propinquity can cause affection and can create sympathetic overlap ± we may not love the one we are with, but we certainly like him or her. That the likelihood of friendship is strongly correlated with proximity has been thoroughly documented in such settings as a new dormitory at the University of Chicago (Priest and Sawyer, 1967), the Dyckman Houses in New York City (Nahemow and Lawton, 1975), and a police academy in Maryland (Segal, 1974). Furthermore, if we know we are about to meet another person for the ®rst time, in conjunction with the more complex mental model we create of the other, we simply begin to like him or her as well (Berscheid et al., 1976). ...
A theory of sympathy is advanced, based on the insights of theorists such as Hume, Smith, Cooley, Mead, and Heider, and drawing on modern findings in sociology and social psychology. The process of identifying with another person is determined by the perception of distance from the other, may involve non-conscious imitation, and leads to an enlarged self-interest. The core of the theory is a model balancing physical distance, psychological similarity and familiarity, affection, and evaluation. Great emphasis is placed on the incarnation of social actors, the importance of their bodies and sentiments, and the effects of the interaction order. This theoretical structure is applied to the Prisoners' Dilemma in order to derive a large set of predictions that are tested successfully against the wealth of experimental results.
... In high-density dormitories, as in cities, students are confronted with so many other students that they cannot deal with them as individuals. Since it has been demonstrated (Priest and Sawyer, 1967) that proximity plays an important role in determining interpersonal attraction, it is explainable that persons in low-density dormitories know and feel closer to a greater percentage of their fellow residents. This could account for the greater amount of helping behavior in these dormitories. ...
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... This study supported balance theory's claim that, when the signs of two ties in a triad are established, the third tie will form in a manner that achieves balance. Evidence supporting the theory in a naturalistic setting came from a study of a men's college dormitory (Priest and Sawyer 1967). Proximity of room assignments and year in school predicted positive sentiment, supporting the assumption that one positive tie (close proximity) induces another (liking). ...
This paper investigates the effects that different patterns of similarity among group members have on a group's performance on a problem-solving task. I discuss and test hypotheses on the effects of similarity on group performance derived from two literatures: balance theory and research on homophily. In an experiment I found that the relative balance of the pattern of similarity was more important in predicting how quickly groups establish norms of interaction and complete a task than how similar group members were to each other. Neither balance nor the degree of similarity had a significant effect on the quality of the groups' work. I conclude that groups with balanced similarity structures produce task solutions that approximate the quality of those from other groups, but they do so in significantly less time. That is, balanced groups are more efficient than unbalanced groups.
... A further analysis of the results might suggest that office proximity contributes in a large part to an employee's selection of communication, advice, and friendship networks. Many studies have shown that proximity to others often leads to the formation of relationships (Festinger, Schachter, & Bach, 1950;Nahemow & Lawton, 1983;Priest & Sawyer, 1967). Particularly interesting is the finding by Nahemow and Lawton (1983) that proximity can encourage relationships between dissimilar individuals. ...
Group behavior research suggests that differences among group members cause individuals to interact in ways that may enhance or weaken group performance. Dissimilarities among members may cause the development of negative attitudes about work groups, leading to dysfunctional performance. Network theorists have found that demographic factors influence individuals' tendency to form network ties within their organizations. This article bridges these findings, examining whether work group demographic differences affect a group member's tendency to form network ties with other group members or outside the work unit. In a study of 49 employees at a Midwest consulting firm, individual differences in sex and tenure predicted whether employees interacted within their work groups on advice and friendship dimensions, respectively, but did not affect the establishment of working relationships. Increased group heterogeneity tended to reduce the effect of demographic differences. Longer-service men were more likely to forge relationships within the work group than were short-term or female workers.
... Bennett (1974) argues that although people may be physically or functionally proximate, they may not feel proximate. Priest and Sawyer (1967) suggest that the number of other people who are interposed between two proximate people will determine the degree of proximity perceived by those two people. ...
this paper is to investigate some of the literature in the sociopsychologicaldomain as it relates to group dynamics and interaction. Technologyissues are largely ignored, though this is not to minimise their importance
Exploring the incentive mechanism of public participation is the key to the implementation of sustainable policies in China. This study related the constructs of psychological distance (PD), the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and willingness to pay (WTP) to examine the influential factors of environmental behaviors to prevent air pollution. The contingent valuation method was applied to demonstrate pro-environmental endeavors by measuring WTP and the structural equation model was used to clarify the effects between PD, TPB and WTP. The results showed that different dimensions of PD from air pollution have overlapping influences. Participants judged the air pollution as psychologically closer tend to have positive attitudes and stronger subjective norms, and the reduced PD can translate into increased WTP. The PD-TPB-WTP model correctly predicts up to 17.6% of WTP and 82.6% of behavioral intention. Environmental policymakers are suggested to draft policies according to individuals’ internal thinking.
This paper examines the temporal and spatial characteristics of urban inter-residential social travel. By analyzing Lansing metropolitan transportation survey data, residential social trips as compared to trips for other purposes were found to more frequently start and end at home, and infrequently be combined with other activities. Contrary to the expected pattern, lower income individuals exhibited a larger proportion of inter-residential social trips than did those of higher income groups. Initially, social interaction frequency was found to decline rapidly with increasing distance from the individual's home location. Beyond the confines of the “neighborhood,” the decline in interaction frequency was much more gradual, however.
The present study uses egocentric networks collected from youth (aged 14–24) incarcerated with California’s Division of Juvenile Justice to examine the composition and structure of youth’s friendship networks during periods of incarceration and to test the relationship between friendship and institutional misconduct. Tests of network homophily reveal that youth networks report more diversity across both racial/ethnic categories and gang membership than expected from non-network research about inmate organization. Regression results indicate that youth who stated they had no close friendships within the facility had a lower rate of institutional misconduct post-interview compared to those who nominated peer friendships. The current study demonstrates that incarcerated youth are capable of building close friendships and highlights the potential of these friendships to affect a youth’s level of institutional misconduct.
This study examined interpersonal communication patterns among 70 of 149 members in the New York State Assembly. The average member spoke frequently with about 22% of his or her colleagues, less frequently to another 44%, and virtually never to the remaining third of the membership. Shared membership in political party had the strongest relationship to communication patterns (which colleagues a member communicated with) followed by regional delegation. Seat proximity and shared committee membership showed weaker relationships, and office proximity and gender were of little influence. In general, homophilous attributes were more important than proximity factors in influencing frequency of communication. Moreover, homophily creates proximity, through meetings of party conferences, regional delegations, and groups such as the Women's Caucus.
Studies examining personal experiences of climate change-related events highlight the potential to encourage climate action by framing it as happening now, in your neighborhood, and affecting people like you - that is, psychologically close. We compare this literature to studies that examine psychological distance. The review reveals a disconnect: while studies of personal experience suggest merits of reducing psychological distance, other studies present a more nuanced picture in which psychological proximity does not always lead to more concern about or action on climate change. Despite its emphasis, psychological distance has not been widely studied in experimental work in the climate change context, and there is a need for more systematic examination of its effects across a range of mitigation and adaptation actions. Further, our review identifies potential pitfalls associated with decreasing psychological distance, such as fear and avoidance. Finally, we provide preliminary recommendations for optimal ways to bring climate change "home.".
Researchers are beginning to explore the variety of casual sexual relationships that individuals engage in. These relationships, and the subtle nuances that differentiate them, have not been studied collectively. The purpose of the present study was to qualitatively examine casual sexual relationships (CSRs), ranging from a single encounter to an ongoing sexual relationship with a friend. Male and female focus group participants identified a number of implicit and explicit rules that guide the initiation, maintenance, and termination of four types of casual sexual relationships: One Nights Stands, Booty Calls, Fuck Buddies, and Friends with Benefits. Participants identified these rules regardless of gender or whether they had previous personal experience with any of these CSRs. The results suggest that each of these relationship types can be placed on a continuum of casual sex according to various dimensions, including frequency of contact, type of contact (sexual and/or social), personal disclosure, discussion of the relationship, and friendship. Participants' shared understanding of CSRs suggests that young adults may have common cultural knowledge of these relationships and a fluid conceptualization of what constitutes a relationship.
Where do neighborhoods come from and why do certain resources and effects--such as social capital and collective efficacy--bundle together in some neighborhoods and not in others? From the Ground Up argues that neighborhood communities emerge from neighbor networks, and shows that these social relations are unique because of particular geographic qualities. Highlighting the linked importance of geography and children to the emergence of neighborhood communities, Rick Grannis models how neighboring progresses through four stages: when geography allows individuals to be conveniently available to one another; when they have passive contacts or unintentional encounters; when they actually initiate contact; and when they engage in activities indicating trust or shared norms and values. Seamlessly integrating discussions of geography, household characteristics, and lifestyle, Grannis demonstrates that neighborhood communities exhibit dynamic processes throughout the different stages. He examines the households that relocate in order to choose their neighbors, the choices of interactions that develop, and the exchange of beliefs and influence that impact neighborhood communities over time. Grannis also introduces and explores two geographic concepts--t-communities and street islands--to capture the subtle features constraining residents' perceptions of their environment and community. Basing findings on thousands of interviews conducted through door-to-door canvassing in the Los Angeles area as well as other neighborhood communities, From the Ground Up reveals the different ways neighborhoods function and why these differences matter.
This chapter examines the familiarity-leads-to-liking hypothesis, with specific reference to developments since the time it was formalized and revitalized by Zajonc in 1965. Zajonc suggested that the function best describing the relationship between exposure and liking takes the form of a positive, decelerating curve, with attitude enhancement of a function of the logarithm of the exposure frequency. “Mere exposure” refers to conditions that make the stimulus accessible to the organism's perception. The chapter begins with a consideration of studies that have related assessed or varied familiarity to affective reactions focusing on the conditions suspected of limiting the exposure effect or causing contrasting effects. The conditions under which different results prevail are identified to consider major interpretations. A good deal of research in the past has demonstrated that repeated exposures to some stimulus lead to a liking for it under a wide range of conditions. The effect has been found when exposures have been reduced to a fraction of a second, rendered unrecognizable, or increased to ten times the number used in Zajonc's initial experiments. The effect has been extended into the realm of interpersonal attraction, and considerable new data has been accrued concerning the relationship between familiarity and aesthetic preference.
The first aim of this study was to compare the quality of online, offline, and mixed-mode friendships (i.e., friendships that originate online and extend to offline settings) among users of a social networking site. The second aim was to investigate the relative contribution of proximity, perceived similarity, and social attraction to the quality of each of the three types of friendships. We surveyed 2,188 members of a Dutch social networking site. Results showed that the quality of all three types of friendships increased over time. The differences in quality between online and offline friendships remained significant over time, but those between mixed-mode and offline friendships disappeared. Proximity did not affect the quality of any of the three types of friendships. Perceived similarity was the most important predictor of online friendships, whereas social attraction was the most important predictor of mixed-mode and offline friendships. Our results are discussed in the light of both interpersonal and computer-mediated communication theories.
Five methods, each representative of a distinctive mathematical approach to clique identification, are applied to two sociometrices and the results compared. The matrices were carefully selected for their mathematical properties to test certain characteristics of the methods. McQuitty's linkage analysis provided a cheap, efficient means of producing a few strongly linked cliques. Direct factor analysis and factor analysis of a correlation matrix produced similar results, but direct factor analysis was relatively expensive and provided a less workable solution. Hubbell's method of raising a matrix to the pth power did less well, as the relative number of zero entries may affect the resulting cliques. Multidimensional scaling did very poorly, producing cliques dissimilar to those produced by the other four methods.
This research studies interpersonal attraction among a multi‐ethnic group composed of 324 students, men and women, who lived in a university residence. A correlational and multiple regression analysis shows the relationship between different levels of attraction in pairs of individuals (these pairs being the unit of analysis), and degrees of homogeneity in these pairs with regard to nationality, length of residence, and proximity of residence. The results confirm balance theory: in both groups of women and groups of men interpersonal attraction is linked with similarity and reciprocity of choice. Relationships between men and women depend on different types of similarity.
Dans cette recherche l'attraction interpersonnelle est étudiée chez un groupe multi‐ethnique composé de 324 étudiants, hommes et femmes, habitant une résidence universitaire. Une analyse de corrélation et de régression multiple met en relation différents niveaux d'intensité dans rattraction de paires d'individus (les paires étant ici les unités d'analyse), et l'homogénéité de ces paires quant à la nationalité, l'ancienneté, et la proximité résidentielle. Les résultats confirment la théorie de l'équilibre (balance theory); dans les groupes masculins et féminins l'attraction interpersonnelle est liée à la similarité et à la réciprocité des choix. Les relations entre hommes et entre femmes dépendent de différents types de similarité.
Proxemics literature is synthesized and placed in a theoretical framework based on norms and expectations. Two major and three subordinate propositions are supported, and a model for predicting effects of violations of proxemic expectations is advanced. A sample of hypotheses generated from the model is included.
Newcomb's (1961) study of various individual and social factors influencing the development of friendship in a group of 17 male university students living in a fraternity house was reanalyzed (Newcomb, 1979) to test the hypothesis that individuals would gradually develop mutuality in their friendships. This reasonable hypothesis was, however, not supported by Newcomb's data. This article describes factors affecting the development of mutuality of attraction in natural small groups, and tests the hypothesis of the acquaintance process, Newcomb, (1961) with some new data. Female residents of three floors of a university dormitory were studied over the course of a year. Two floors showed definite increases in dyadic mutuality over time. Anomalous results for the third floor may have been due to a statistical ceiling effect. Some implications for applied small group research are discussed.
Two studies are reported which indicate that high communication apprehensives are perceived as less interpersonally attractive than low communication apprehensives by members of the opposite sex. Effects of physical appearance and attitude similarity on interpersonal attraction, consistent with previous research, were also observed. It was also found that, in general, the more communication apprehensive the subject the less the subject was attracted to other people.
Personal friends and specialized agents are not sufficient to keep people completely informed about job openings and lodging possibilities in which they might be interested. This exploratory paper is limited to a study of the friendship networks based on a survey conducted in a rural environment. Time analysis indicates that people who become friends usually belong to the same age groups and that some periods of life are more favourable than others to the formation of friendship. Spatial analysis shows that proximity plays a most important part in that respect and that the distribution of these friends follows a pattern of the Pareto type, quite similar to that observed in he most recent
migrations of the people interviewed in the survey. Finally, if we compare the number of friends in the county town and the neighbouring villages, we find a difference which cannot be attributed to demographic characteristics, but stems from the greater isolation of the people who live in the neighbouring villages.
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