Mere Exposure Effect Definition & Examples in Real Life, Marketing

What is the Mere Exposure Effect?

The mere exposure effect refers to the psychological phenomenon that people tend to develop a preference for things simply because they are familiar with them. The concept was introduced by psychologist Robert Zajonc in 1968, based on an experiment he conducted involving two different images of Chinese characters.

The mere exposure effect is a psychological phenomenon in which people tend to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them. In other words, the more you hear or see something, the more likely it is that you will like it.

Familiarity does not always breed contempt, though; there is sometimes a genuine increase in liking among those who have been exposed to an object multiple times.

There was no significant difference between how much people liked objects simply because they had seen them versus how much they liked them after interacting with them (Kahneman & Snell 1966).

Mere Exposure Effect Example

The mere exposure effect, or Mere Exposure Effect (MEE), is a cognitive bias that occurs when people develop a preference for things merely because of familiarity with them. In other words, the more often you are exposed to something without deliberate intention, the more likely it will be liked by you.

The mere exposure effect is an observation of human behavior. Essentially, the more you are exposed to something without any cultural or other bias attached to it, the more likely you will like it.

For example, if Bill says that he likes sushi and then has a friend try some for the first time, they may not find it appealing simply because they have never had sushi before and, with this in mind, might say that they do not like it.

However, if Bill tried another form of Japanese cuisine, his friend might enjoy what they tried even though their original opinion was negative.

Mere Exposure Effect Advertising Example

The more a person is exposed to a particular stimulus, the more they tend to like it. This is known as the mere exposure effect and has been shown in numerous studies that have been conducted over decades.

Since the mere exposure effect is the phenomenon in which people tend to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them, it is one of the most powerful psychological effects for marketers.

Marketers need to understand because their job is about creating meaningful associations between brands, products, and concepts on the one hand and consumers on the other.

The mere exposure effect has been used to explain the popularity of certain books, songs, or styles. This effect can be demonstrated through experiments where participants are shown two similar items and asked to choose one.

Mere Exposure Effect real-life examples

When people are introduced to a new product, they tend to like it more.  People who have been exposed to an idea will be more likely to agree with it.  People who are exposed to a stimulus for longer periods of time will form stronger memories about the stimulus.

The mere exposure effect tends to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them.  A study in 1979  by Robert Zajonc showed that students rated an unfamiliar song more favorably after hearing it 10 times than those who heard it only once. This was true even though the listeners were unaware of how many times they had heard the song.

Another experiment found that when subjects were shown pictures of different types of chairs (e.g., armchair, kitchen chair), their preferences shifted toward whichever type of chair was seen most often in a given period.

This effect can be seen in many different domains, including consumer behavior and interpersonal relationships.  For example, one study found that participants were more likely to choose an unfamiliar song if it was labeled as “familiar” than if it was labeled as “unfamiliar.”

Mere Exposure Effect Love and Relationship examples

The mere exposure effect is a psychological phenomenon that occurs when people develop an increased preference for things merely because they are familiar with them.

It has been shown to influence the way we think about both ourselves and others.

This can happen in relationships. It can be applied to love and relationships when couples are constantly fighting but still stay together because they know each other so well.

Mere Exposure Effect Attraction

The mere exposure effect is a phenomenon in which people tend to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them. This phenomenon has been demonstrated in many different contexts, including taste tests and ratings of attractiveness.

Participants’ ratings of attractiveness show that people prefer things because they have seen them more often have higher exposures to them than others.

Mere Exposure Effect and  Familiarity

The mere exposure effect is the phenomenon that people tend to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them. This is also known as the “familiarity principle” or “mere-exposure effect.”

The mere exposure effect was first identified in 1968  but has been replicated many times since then, particularly in studies of artwork preferences.

The phenomenon can be seen as an extension of the more general principle that familiarity breeds liking. Still, it differs from other types of cognitive fluency effects (such as the mere-exposure effect) in that it does not require any repeated experience with something.

Instead, this type of “familiarity” relies on how often a person has seen or encountered an object without experiencing anything about its properties.

One example of this was shown in a study by Zajonc where participants were given two nonsense words and asked to say which one sounded more pleasant.

Participants overwhelmingly chose the word they had heard before (familiar), even though it did not make any sense.

Familiarity Breeds Contempt Idea

Familiarity breeds contempt is often used to describe a phenomenon in which people who are accustomed to each other’s company or behavior become bored with it, leading them to resent and criticize each other.

This phrase can also be applied when one person’s familiarity leads another person to believe that they know everything about the first person, which causes them to take the first person for granted or feel superior over them.

Familiarity Breeds Contempt Example

Examples of Familiarity breeds contempt are seen in the animal kingdom, where the more a lion is around its prey, the less it will hunt and kill it.

The same can be said for humans.

Familiarity breeds contempt may also refer to feelings of boredom and resentment felt by two people who have been together for too long without any change in their relationship status; this feeling is sometimes called “couple burnout.

When people spend too much time with each other, they may start to grow tired of one another.

This phenomenon also occurs in relationships between friends or spouses who have been together for years.

Proximity Effect Attraction

One of the reasons that proximity matters to attraction is that it gives rise to familiarity; people are more drawn to the familiar. Only being around someone or being constantly introduced to them raises the probability that we’ll be drawn to them.

According to the Social Psychologist, the “Proximity Effect” is one of the reasons for attractions. The proximity effect is linked to the time people spend together. The Mere Exposure Effect is actually a psychological phenomenon where people feel a preference for people or objects simply because they are familiar.

Mere Exposure Effect Limitations

The mere exposure effect is the phenomenon that people tend to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them.

Some limitations of Mere exposure effect include;

• One weakness of the mere exposure effect does not work on all types of objects, and it can be overridden by other factors such as novelty or complexity.
• Since the mere exposure effect is where people develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them, it can lead to the development of an attitude not based on true preferences but rather on familiarity or novelty. This phenomenon has been demonstrated in many different contexts, including taste tests and ratings of attractiveness.
• Another limitation of the Mere exposure effect is that it can be abused by marketing and advertising agencies.
• The two other main criticisms of the Mere Exposure Effect include; it does not always occur, and it is not clear why it occurs.
• Participants will often prefer the item they have seen before, even if it is objectively worse than the other option. This can occur even if the person has no interest in this thing and it does not bring any tangible benefits to him/her.

Proximity Effect  and Mere Exposure Effect