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preference
You prefer things simply because you have seen them before.
Repeated exposure to an item generally increases liking up to an optimal point, after which boredom or habituation typically causes liking to decrease.
The mere-exposure effect follows an inverted-U curve rather than a simple upward trajectory.
Preference is often just a byproduct of recognition.
Where this comes from
- Study
- Zajonc, 1968
- What the check found
- While Zajonc (1968) did establish the mere-exposure effect, the claim implies a linear increase in liking that persists indefinitely, ignoring the well-documented habituation/boredom phase.
- 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.