Explain the terms matching hypothesis, proximity effect, and mere exposure effect. Discuss the ways ...

Matching hypothesis
- It's a psychological theory that claims that people tend to seek romantic and sexual partners who possess a similar level of physical attractiveness to their own.
- It could be due to the expectation that someone of similar attractiveness is an emotionally safer choice, and is a boost to each partner's self-esteem.
- On the other hand, a partner of much greater physical attractiveness may be seen as more likely to reject someone who is not as attractive.
- How well couples are matched on physical attractiveness is related to the success of the relationship.
- Matched couples tend to become closer, and their relationships tend to last longer than couples who differ significantly in physical attractiveness.

Proximity effect
- The term proximity refers to how close in physical distance you are to another person over time.
- As one spends more time in close proximity to other people, the more one is likely to develop positive feelings toward them.
- The closer one is in geographical distance, the greater the probability that one will grow to like or even to love someone.
- People tend to grow fonder of someone around whom they spend more time.
- Three reasons have been suggested for this proximity effect:
1. If you are sharing the same physical space with another person, you will have more opportunity to meet and get to know each other, which can increase the chances that a romantic relationship will develop.
2. The more you find yourself in the same situation with another person, the more likely it is that the two of you have interests in common. Common interests pave the way for mutually interesting topics of conversation and shared activities, all of which enhance the probability that a romantic relationship may develop. The two most common locations where people meet and form romantic relationships are school and work.
3. A third explanation for the influence of proximity on relationships is a psychological principle called the mere exposure effect.

Mere exposure effect
- Humans appear to have a natural and usually unconscious tendency to grow fonder of a novel stimulus as they see it more often, and it's true for perceptions of people, as well.
- To use the mere exposure effect to explain the impact of proximity on relationships, simply encountering a person more often, without even talking or acknowledging each other, will lead to greater familiarity.
- Greater familiarity increases liking, which then enhances the probability of forming an intimate connection.
- If, however, your initial reaction upon encountering a new person is profoundly negative, the mere exposure effect may not occur, and instead, your dislike may increase with repeated encounters.

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