Tom's new girlfriend has a habit of biting her nails. This did not bother Tom when he first met her, but it is beginning to annoy him more and more with each passing day. This is an example of the ____.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The social allergy effect describes a situation where a small, perhaps initially insignificant, annoying habit of someone close becomes increasingly irritating over time. In this case, Tom's growing annoyance with his girlfriend's nail-biting habit exemplifies this effect.

Tom's New Girlfriend Has a Habit of Biting Her Nails