Faur and Laursen link classroom seat locations and friendships via a study whose findings are consistent with much prior research. Study participants were in grades 3-5. The researchers found that “students sitting next to or nearby one another were more likely to . . . be involved in reciprocated friendships than students seated elsewhere in the classroom. Longitudinal analyses indicated that classroom seating proximity was associated with the formation of new friendships. . . . Seat assignments were not random. Most teachers indicated that students had no input in seat selection and all teachers indicated that friendship was not a factor.”
Sharon Faur and Brett Laursen. 2022. “Classroom Seat Proximity Predicts Friendship Formation.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 13, 796002, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.796002