When individuals encounter something repeatedly, they are more likely to develop a positive attitude toward it. This phenomenon is particularly subtle, as the preference can develop passively, often without the individual consciously realizing why they favor the familiar stimulus.
This helps explain why people often prefer songs they’ve heard in the past over new ones they’ve never encountered. Past exposure creates a sense of familiarity, which is inherently comforting. This familiarity can make older songs feel more appealing, even if the person didn’t particularly like them when they first heard them.
This effect works because familiar stimuli are processed more fluently by the brain. This cognitive ease is often mistaken for inherent value, leading individuals to believe they genuinely prefer the familiar object or idea. Additionally, the effect exploits emotional reasoning, as familiarity often evokes feelings of safety and trust. This can make individuals resistant to new or unfamiliar options, even when those options might be objectively better.
The Mere Exposure Effect is widely utilized in advertising, branding, and politics. For example, a company might plaster its company’s logo and slogan across multiple platforms, ensuring consumers see it frequently. Over time, consumers will develop a positive association with the brand simply because of the repeated exposure, even if they can't recall when or how they saw it.
In politics, campaign strategies often include frequent repetition of a candidate’s name, face, and slogans. A candidate whose name appears on numerous billboards and advertisements is more likely to be perceived as familiar and trustworthy by voters, even if they lack detailed knowledge about the candidate’s policies.
Interviews related to mere exposure effect
Producer: Lauren Shields
Published: October 02, 2020
