Effects of Proximity on Character Ratings in Relation to Attribution, Self-perception and Gender

Imagine a wife screaming at her husband. If observers were present, they would propose that the wife is difficult, shrill, insufferable, and fruitless. But does this wife really embody such characteristics? Does she exemplify this type of behavior seldom or constantly? Why do the observers suggest such personality traits from simply viewing the wife in that situation? Could it have been the environment that prompted the wife to act in such an aggressive manner? Also, does the gender of the antagonistic spouse (in this case, the wife) affect the way observers adduce her general attitude? Some of these answers may be found through the examination of the fundamental attribution theory and error, the self-perception theory, and gender differences. The goal of the experiment conducted is to determine whether attribution, self-perception, and gender differences play a role when two subjects, each of a different gender, participate in different proximity settings that draw on varied degrees of intimacy.