TOEFL Speaking Task 3

In psychology, the 'mere exposure effect' refers to the tendency for people to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them. This effect occurs even when the initial exposure is subliminal or without conscious awareness. Researchers have found that repeated exposure to a stimulus, such as a sound, image, or person, increases positive feelings toward it. The effect is robust across various contexts and has implications for marketing, social interactions, and aesthetic preferences. Importantly, the preference emerges not because of any inherent quality of the stimulus, but purely due to familiarity.

Professor: Let me give you an example from a classic study. Researchers showed participants a series of geometric shapes on a screen, but they displayed them so quickly that participants couldn't consciously see them. These shapes were flashed repeatedly, some more often than others. Later, when participants were shown pairs of shapes—one they had been 'exposed' to many times and one completely new—they were asked which one they liked better. Consistently, participants chose the shape they had seen more frequently, even though they had no idea they had seen it before. In another real-world example, think about why companies often show the same advertisement repeatedly. Even if you don't pay attention, by the time you go shopping, you're more likely to pick the brand you've seen many times simply because it feels familiar. So, the effect works without any conscious recognition.