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mere exposure effect
You prefer things just because you have seen them.
Repeated exposure to a neutral stimulus is enough to increase your positive affect toward it.
In one study, participants developed a preference for nonsense words or symbols simply because they were shown them more frequently. This occurs even when the exposure happens too quickly to be consciously registered. Familiarity is interpreted by your brain as a signal of safety and comfort.
Your preferences are often just a tally of your experiences.
Where this comes from
- Study
- Zajonc (1968)
- What the check found
- The mere-exposure effect is a well-established phenomenon. While Zajonc's 1968 paper is the seminal work on this effect, the claim is slightly simplified as it overlooks the threshold for overexposure.
- Confidence
- Solid, with limits
Related
One of these every day, and every one names the study it came from. When a finding is contested, it says so.