BookYol

Concept

Mere-Exposure Effect

The mere-exposure effect is the tendency to like something more simply because we have encountered it repeatedly, even when nothing about it has actually improved.

In the 1960s, psychologist Robert Zajonc showed people nonsense words, Chinese characters and unfamiliar faces, some once and some many times. The more often people had seen something, the more they liked it, though they had learned nothing new about it. The brain treats ease of processing as a sign of quality. What is familiar feels effortless, and what feels effortless feels safe. For our ancestors this was a reasonable shortcut, since anything they had met before without being harmed was probably harmless. In decisions it misleads us, because repetition passes for evidence. Your current job, city, supplier or project has had years of exposure. The alternative has had a few conversations. Add loss aversion, and the status quo starts every comparison with a double head start. That is why Chip and Dan Heath warn that the path you are on feels safer than it is.

A real-life example

Mia has bought beans from the same roaster for six years. A new roaster offers better-rated coffee at 10% less, but every sample tastes slightly off to her. The old blend "just tastes right." So she runs a blind tasting with her three baristas, with cups labeled only A and B. The new beans win four rounds out of five. She switches one blend first and keeps the old roaster as a backup.

How to use it

  1. 1Run the first-sight test by asking: "If I were seeing this option for the first time today, would I still choose it?"
  2. 2Strip the labels. Compare options blind, or score them against criteria you wrote down before looking, so familiarity can't cast the deciding vote.
  3. 3Give the alternative some exposure too. Try it in a small, reversible way before the big decision, and let it become familiar before you judge it.