Darling, Get Closer to Me: Spatial Proximity Amplifies Interpersonal Liking

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Perception

Background:

• The propinquity effect, suggesting proximity fosters liking, is empirically challenged.
• Previous research often relies on correlational data, lacking experimental validation.
• Understanding how physical and perceived distance influences social perception is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally investigate the effect of proximity on interpersonal liking.
• To explore the role of psychological accessibility in mediating the proximity-liking relationship.
• To examine if social needs moderate the impact of distance on attraction.

Main Methods:

• Three experiments manipulated physical or perceived distance between male participants and female targets.
• Methods included varying sitting distance, stereoscopic image presentation, and video clips.
• Participants' social needs were assessed to explore moderating effects.

Main Results:

• Male participants consistently preferred female targets who were closer rather than farther away.
• The proximity effect was more pronounced in individuals reporting higher social deprivation.
• Perceived psychological accessibility mediated the relationship between distance and liking.

Conclusions:

• Provides rare experimental evidence supporting the propinquity effect.
• Demonstrates that physical and perceived distance significantly influence social liking.
• Highlights the importance of psychological accessibility and social needs in interpersonal attraction.