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MENTAL MODEL · M8095

Mere Exposure Effect

Mere Exposure Effect
BehaviorHigh supportSocial Psychology
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-28

CORE DEFINITION

The mere-exposure effect is a psychological phenomenon by which people tend to develop a liking or disliking 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.

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The mere-exposure effect is a psychological phenomenon by which people tend to develop a liking or disliking for things merely because they are familiar with them. In social psychology, this effect is sometimes called the familiarity principle.

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People develop a higher liking and familiarity for a stimulus merely through repeated exposure; familiarity reduces uncertainty and triggers a sense of security, creating a path to 'liking' without any positive reinforcement.

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Source support: Explicit

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    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mere-exposure_effectZH · Explicit
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