When you arrive at a party, you immediately notice that there are three different groups of people: one around the punch bowl, one by the front door, and one near the back door. perceiving the partygoers in this way is an example of the principle of?

Principle of proximity. According to the psychology of society there is always a tendency to form interpersonal relationships with those who are close by. People who live closer and interact with each other will develop a social group. This primarily due to the nature of human being to like the things they are more familiar with.

It's meant to be the function of checks and balances