What is the “mere exposure effect”?
The continuation and prevalence of this proximity revealed “The Mere Exposure Effect” in the research field. The Mere Exposure Effect is simply a psychological phenomenon whereby people feel a preference for people or things simply because they are familiar. For example, babies smile at the people who smile at them more.
Why does mere exposure increase fluency?
In the decades since Zajonc published his paper on the mere exposure effect, researchers have suggested several theories to explain why the effect happens. Two of the leading theories are that mere exposure makes us feel less uncertain, and that it increases what psychologists call perceptual fluency .
How does exposure make you fond of people?
The mere exposure effect helps us survive in a social circle as friends, lovers, parents, or siblings. You will grow fond of the people you meet often, the cuisine you try regularly, and the surroundings you experience every day. Do not try to fight that natural instinct within you.
What is Zajonc's theory of mere exposure?
The first scientist to identify the mere exposure effect was Robert Zajonc. According to Zajonc’s mere exposure hypothesis, the repeated exposure of an individual to a stimulus is sufficient for that individual to develop a more enhanced attitude toward that stimulus.
What is mere exposure effect in psychology examples?
Mere Exposure Effect, Defined The effect of this situation on people's decisions is as follows: When people need to make a decision and choose something, they tend to prefer the situation or person they are most exposed to. For example, babies smile primarily at people who smile more at them.
What causes the mere exposure effect?
According to Zajonc (1968), the repeated, unreinforced exposure to a stimulus is sufficient to enhance its affective standing. Repeated exposure to a stimulus leads to familiarity with that stimulus, which in turn leads to liking. This forms the basis of the mere exposure effect.
What is the mere exposure effect and why is it important to consumers affective reactions?
The mere-exposure effect indicates that communication effects go beyond “explicit memory”, measured with the traditional measures of (aided) recall and recognition. “Implicit memory” indicates latent communication effects, e.g., liking, for persons exposed to particular stimuli.
What is the mere exposure effect and how does it work?
The mere exposure effect is the tendency to develop a preference for things merely due to being familiar with them. Such behavior occurs with words, songs, faces, shapes, and so on. The effect is common with visual and auditory(sound) information. It is one of the cognitive biases of the human brain.
What best describes the mere exposure effect?
What is the Mere Exposure Effect? The mere exposure effect describes our tendency to develop preferences for things simply because we are familiar with them. For this reason, it is also known as the familiarity principle.
What is the mere exposure effect quizlet?
Mere exposure effect. the phenomenon that repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of them.
How strong is the mere exposure effect?
A meta-analysis of 208 experiments found that the mere-exposure effect is robust and reliable, with an effect size of r=0.26. This analysis found that the effect is strongest when unfamiliar stimuli are presented briefly.
Which of the following is an example of mere exposure?
The Mere Exposure Effect is simply a psychological phenomenon whereby people feel a preference for people or things simply because they are familiar. For example, babies smile at the people who smile at them more.
How does mere exposure lead to friendships?
The mere exposure effect means that liking increases through familiarity. It is a response built into us as a result of our evolutionary past in which people were more likely to survive if they approached people and other creatures only once they had determined that they were non-threatening.
Does mere exposure effect always work?
In summary, we found that the mere exposure effect does not always occur for every part of the exposed advertising images and that attention would modulate the mere exposure effect for advertising images.
Why does the brain like familiarity?
Summary: A new theory suggests the brain understands the level of activation required from a sensory input and corrects for it, leaving behind a signal for familiarity. When a person views a familiar image, even having seen it just once before for a few seconds, something unique happens in the human brain.
Why do humans like familiar things?
From an evolutionary perspective, it makes sense that familiarity breeds liking. Generally speaking, things that are familiar are likely to be safer than things that are not. If something is familiar, we have clearly survived exposure to it, and our brain, recognizing this, steers us towards it.
Who made the mere exposure effect?
Robert ZajoncAccording to the mere exposure effect, people show an increased liking for stimuli as they are exposed to it more. This effect is logarithmic; the first few exposures someone has to a stimulus are more potent than later ones. Robert Zajonc devised the mere exposure effect through three types of supporting studies.
Which of the following is an example of mere exposure?
The Mere Exposure Effect is simply a psychological phenomenon whereby people feel a preference for people or things simply because they are familiar. For example, babies smile at the people who smile at them more.
What is the mere exposure effect AP Psych?
Mere-exposure effect: The tendency to like new stimuli more when you encounter it more frequently. Foot-in-the-door technique: A persuasive technique that begins with a small request to encourage compliance with a larger request.
Why does the brain like familiarity?
Summary: A new theory suggests the brain understands the level of activation required from a sensory input and corrects for it, leaving behind a signal for familiarity. When a person views a familiar image, even having seen it just once before for a few seconds, something unique happens in the human brain.
What is the mere exposure effect?
Jump to navigation Jump to search. The mere-exposure effect is a psychological phenomenon by which people tend to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them. In social psychology, this effect is sometimes called the familiarity principle.
Who developed the mere exposure effect?
The scholar best known for developing the mere-exposure effect is Robert Zajonc. Before conducting his research, he observed that exposure to a novel stimulus initially elicits a fear/avoidance response in all organisms. Each subsequent exposure to the novel stimulus causes less fear and more interest in the observing organism. After repeated exposure, the observing organism will begin to react fondly to the once novel stimulus. This observation led to the research and development of the mere-exposure effect.
How did Charles Goetzinger conduct his experiment?
Charles Goetzinger conducted an experiment using the mere-exposure effect on his class at Oregon State University. Goetzinger had a student come to class in a large black bag with only his feet visible. The black bag sat on a table in the back of the classroom. Goetzinger's experiment was to observe if the students would treat the black bag in accordance to Zajonc's mere-exposure effect. His hypothesis was confirmed. The students in the class first treated the black bag with hostility, which over time turned into curiosity, and eventually friendship. This experiment confirms Zajonc's mere-exposure effect, by simply presenting the black bag over and over again to the students their attitudes were changed, or as Zajonc states "mere repeated exposure of the individual to a stimulus is a sufficient condition for the enhancement of his attitude toward it."
Why is exposure important?
Exposure is most likely to be helpful when a company or product is new and unfamiliar to consumers. An "optimal" level of exposure to an advertisement may not exist. In a third study, experimenters primed consumers with affective motives.
What is the effect of repeated exposure on memory?
Perceptual fluency. The mere-exposure effect posits that repeated exposure to a stimulus increases perceptual fluen cy, the ease with which a stimulus can be processed. Perceptual fluency, in turn, increases positive affect. Studies showed that repeated exposure increases perceptual fluency, confirming positive affect in autobiographical memory ...
How does exposure affect hostility?
When groups already have negative attitudes to each other, further exposure can increase hostility. A statistical analysis of voting patterns found that a candidate's exposure has a strong effect on the number of votes they receive, distinct from the popularity of their policies.
What was the purpose of Goetzinger's experiment?
Goetzinger's experiment was to observe if the students would treat the black bag in accordance to Zajonc's mere-exposure effect. His hypothesis was confirmed. The students in the class first treated the black bag with hostility, which over time turned into curiosity, and eventually friendship.
What is the mere exposure effect?
The mere exposure effect psychology definition is when you find yourself more fond of certain things simply because you are familiar with them, which is why it is also called the familiarity principle. This effect can influence your feelings on people, items, television shows, songs, and pretty much anything you might run into frequently.
Why is the mere exposure effect important?
The mere exposure effect is important for many reasons, largely based on the context in which it appears. The mere exposure effect can be used in clinical settings to help people with phobias become more comfortable with things of which they are irrationally afraid.
How does mere exposure work?
By bombarding consumers with advertisements in which the company's names are presented, buyers begin to trust these brands. This occurs even though they have learned nothing new or substantive about them, but have simply become accustomed to hearing their name often, which instills an idea that they must be good and trustworthy.
How does mere exposure affect decision making?
The mere exposure effect substantially impacts decision making. There is a range of decisions that people end up making because they are more familiar with one of the options, despite evidence that an alternative might be better.
Why do we like what we see more often?
Because the mere exposure effect means that we like what we see more often, it means that we’re more likely to get along with people that we see more regularly. This could help to explain why we are more likely to get along with people that we meet at work or school than people that we meet in other circumstances.
How to define mere exposure?
To define the mere exposure effect, one must analyze the impact it has. A mere exposure effect example is when you hear a song on the radio for the first time, and you hate it. But then after you have heard it many times, you begin to like it. Because you become increasingly aware of the tune, lyrics, etc., you begin to believe you are fond of the song, despite your initial aversion. After a while, you might even prefer the song to others you liked initially.
What does exposure create in a relationship?
In effect, the person is still a stranger, but the mere exposure phenomena create a sense of trust, even a potential bond. In familial relationships, members will often begin to trust those who are "around" more often than those who aren't, despite their intrinsic character.
What is the Mere Exposure Effect?
The m ere exposure effect describes our tendency to develop preferences for things simply because we are familiar with them. For this reason, it is also known as the familiarity principle.
Why is the mere exposure effect so powerful?
3. There are two main reasons why we experience the mere exposure effect: It reduces uncertainty. We are less uncertain about something when we are familiar with it.
How does exposure affect our attraction to stimulus?
Research has shown that repeated exposure that is sustained may limit and then detract from our attraction to a stimulus as it loses novelty . We can actually start to avoid something if we are exposed too much to it. A 1990 study identifies this as “boredom” with the stimulus. 5 This makes sense: you often start by liking a song, and often come to love it as you become more familiar with its sound. But if you listen to the song too much, you become bored of it and don’t want to listen to it anymore. A more proactive strategy might be to recognize the value of diversity and new experience. By looking for unfamiliar and different experiences, we might limit how often we are exposed to any one stimulus.
Why is it important to avoid the mere exposure effect?
We should seek to avoid the mere exposure effect because it can make us miss out on valuable information and opportunities that we have never seen before. This effect attracts us to the familiar, and as mentioned before, familiarity isn’t a good basis to evaluate things.
What are the consequences of a company's current business model?
A company that favors its current business model simply because management has grown familiar with it may miss out on necessary organizational and technological changes that require venturing into uncharted waters. 1 A government that is reluctant to deviate from ‘the way things have always been done,’ may not effectively represent the new and evolving preferences of their electorate. Likewise, academic disciplines that have been built around certain schools of thought may miss out on the useful conclusions that dissenting theories point to.
How does sticking to what we know and see affect us?
The upshot, is this effect can make us more narrow-minded and prevent personal growth. Sticking to what we know and see on a regular basis prevents us from being open to new views and from putting ourselves in the uncomfortable, unfamiliar situations that force us to become better.
Can too much exposure limit or detract from stimulus?
The mere exposure effect may eventually counteract itself. Research has shown that too much exposure may limit and then detract from our attraction to a stimulus. We can actually start to avoid something if we are exposed too much to it. A 1990 study identifies this as “boredom” with the stimulus. A more proactive strategy might be to recognize the value of diversity and new experience. By looking for unfamiliar and different experiences, we might limit how often we are exposed to any one stimulus.
What is the mere exposure effect?
The mere exposure effect is the tendency to develop a preference for things merely due to being familiar with them. Such behavior occurs with words, songs, faces, shapes, and so on. The effect is common with visual and auditory (sound) information. It is one of the cognitive biases of the human brain.
How to overcome the mere exposure effect?
The mere exposure effect does not cause any significant consequences. It only leads to a liking without any rational thought. You won’t be able to prevent your instinct of preferring things you’re familiar with. You can, however, prevent some of the poor choices you make.
What is Zajonc's theory?
Zajonc proposed the affective primacy hypothesis, which indicated that living things exhibit liking without logical thought. His theory was, even if the repeated exposure happened without your knowledge, you would still develop a liking.
Why is the mere exposure effect uncertain?
Though the reason for the mere exposure effect is uncertain, scientists have associated fear playing a part during evolution. When our ancestors roamed on the earth trying their best to survive, they chose things they were familiar with. If they found two fruits, they would eat the one they had seen before.
Do you come to any conclusion from the first encounter?
During the first encounter, you do not come to any conclusion. For example, if you have never heard a song from the Beatles before, you do not turn into their die-hard fan in a day or two. The first time, you might find their songs ordinary. A few more encounters later, you start developing a liking.
Does familiarity affect attractiveness?
The results showed no apparent difference in familiarity, but a substantial effect on attractiveness was observed. Subjects found the lady who attended 15 classes more attractive than the others.
What is the mere exposure effect?
Have you ever heard a song and not liked it at first, then, the more you hear it, the more you like it? This is a classic example of the mere exposure effect. If you hear a song over and over on the radio, you will most likely enjoy it a lot more the tenth time than the first.
When is the mere exposure effect most powerful?
Studies have shown that the mere exposure effect is at its most powerful when there is a period of time between exposures. So, when you experience something for the first time, you may not like it. Then, when you experience it a second time, maybe a few days later, you like it a little more. As this continues and the experience becomes more ...
Why is subliminal mere exposure common?
This is a common example of subliminal mere exposure because you may not even realize you are listening to the song as often as you are. Then, once you consciously listen to it, or realize you are listening to it, you will find you enjoy it much more than you did the first time.
Why do preferences change as we get older?
Have you ever wondered why your preferences change as you get older? Maybe you hated olives and now you love them. Maybe you and your best friend hated each other and now you can’t imagine life without them. These are both examples of the mere exposure effect, a powerful psychological phenomenon that can change our preferences as we go through life.
Why do people like things?
It is a psychological phenomenon that causes people to develop a preference for things simply because they are familiar with them. The more you are exposed to something, the more you may find yourself liking it.
What does it mean when you spend more time with someone?
The more time you spend with someone, the more familiar they become to you. This means that you will find more in common with them. The things that might have annoyed you at first will also become more familiar and you will be used to them the longer you spend with them.
Is it true that time can change how you feel?
For children, the familiar is more of a comfort than a novelty. As you get older, the more familiar you are with something, the more you tend to enjoy it. Time can change many things, but it is definitely true that it can change how you feel. The mere exposure effect may not cause you to like anything and everything.
What is the mere exposure effect?
The Mere Exposure Effect is simply a psychological phenomenon whereby people feel a preference for people or things simply because they are familiar . For example, babies smile at the people who smile at them more.
Which perspective claims that the preferences of people towards objects and conditions depend on the familiarity?
The evolutionary perspective claims that the preferences of people towards objects and conditions depend on the familiarity. With all these examples and explanations we can say that Proximity Effect and The Mere Exposure Effect have an influence on the preference of people towards people, objects, and conditions.
Who made a research about the students who study in university and stay in a dormitory at the same time?
Another research found a similar result: Festinger, Schachter, and Back (1950) made a research about the students who study in university and stay in a dormitory at the same time.
Is there a correlation between time spent together and the attraction between people?
A lot of research found out that there is a positive correlation between the amount of time spent together and the attraction between people. For example, students who sit next to each other are more likely to become friends in a class.
Key Research
Example of The Mere Exposure Effect
- One place where the mere exposure effect occurs is in advertising—in fact, in his original paper, Zajonc mentioned the importance of mere exposure to advertisers. The mere exposure effect explains why seeing the same advertisement multiple times could be more convincing than just seeing it once: that “as seen on TV” product may seem silly the first time you hear about it, but af…
When Does The Mere Exposure Effect Happen?
- Since Zajonc’s initial study, numerous researchers have investigated the mere exposure effect. Researchers have found that our liking for a variety of things (including pictures, sounds, foods, and smells) can be increased with repeated exposure, suggesting that the mere exposure effect isn’t limited to just one of our senses. Additionally, researchers have found that the mere exposu…
Sources and Additional Reading
- Chenier, Troy & Winkielman, Piotr. “Mere Exposure Effect.” Encyclopedia of Social Psychology. Edited by Roy F. Baumeister and Kathleen D. Vohs, SAGE Publications, 2007, 556-558. http://dx.doi.org/1...
- Montoya, R. M., Horton, R. S., Vevea, J. L., Citkowicz, M., & Lauber, E. A. (2017). A re-examination of the mere exposure effect: The influence of repeated exposure on recognition…
- Chenier, Troy & Winkielman, Piotr. “Mere Exposure Effect.” Encyclopedia of Social Psychology. Edited by Roy F. Baumeister and Kathleen D. Vohs, SAGE Publications, 2007, 556-558. http://dx.doi.org/1...
- Montoya, R. M., Horton, R. S., Vevea, J. L., Citkowicz, M., & Lauber, E. A. (2017). A re-examination of the mere exposure effect: The influence of repeated exposure on recognition, familiarity, and...
- Zajonc, R. B. (1968). Attitudinal effects of mere exposure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 9(2.2), 1-27. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1968-12019-001
- Zajonc, R. B. (2001). Mere exposure: A gateway to the subliminal. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 10(6), 224-228. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8721.00154
Overview
The mere-exposure effect is a psychological phenomenon by which people tend to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them. In social psychology, this effect is sometimes called the familiarity principle. The effect has been demonstrated with many kinds of things, including words, Chinese characters, paintings, pictures of faces, geometric figures, and sounds. In studies of interpersonal attraction, the more often people see a person, the more plea…
Research
Gustav Fechner conducted the earliest known research on the effect in 1876. Edward B. Titchener also documented the effect and described the "glow of warmth" felt in the presence of something familiar; however, his hypothesis was thrown out when results showed that the enhancement of preferences for objects did not depend on the individual's subjective impressions of how familiar the objects were. The rejection of Titchener's hypothesis spurred further research and the devel…
Perceptual fluency
The mere-exposure effect posits that repeated exposure to a stimulus increases perceptual fluency, the ease with which a stimulus can be processed. Perceptual fluency, in turn, increases positive affect. Studies showed that repeated exposure increases perceptual fluency, confirming positive affect in autobiographical memory and perceptual learning. Also supported in later studies.
Application
The most obvious application of the mere-exposure effect is in advertising, but research on its effectiveness at enhancing consumer attitudes toward particular companies and products has been mixed. One study tested the mere-exposure effect with banner ads on a computer screen. College-age students were asked to read an article on the computer while banner ads flashed at the top of the screen. The results showed that the students exposed to the "test" banner rated th…
See also
• Illusory truth effect
• Interpersonal attraction
• Propinquity effect
• Subliminal advertising
External links
• Changing minds: Mere exposure theory