The first factor influencing relationship development is one of the most obvious yet often overlooked: proximity. You’re more likely to pursue relationships with people with whom you have frequent contact, whether face-to-face or online. This phenomenon is known as the mere exposure effect (Bornstein, 1989). For example, a coworker who works in a cubicle near yours is more likely to become a friend or romantic partner than is one who works on a different floor. Similarly, if you have a cousin whose activities you regularly follow on Twitter, you’ll be more likely to think of her as a close family member than a distant relative you see only at annual family gatherings.