TOEFL Speaking Task 3

In psychology, the concept of 'mere exposure effect' refers to the tendency for individuals to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them. This effect occurs even when the initial exposure is brief or subliminal, and it applies to various stimuli, including sounds, images, and people. The effect is thought to be evolutionary, as familiar stimuli were often safe, while unfamiliar ones might pose threats. Researchers have demonstrated this effect through controlled experiments, showing that repeated exposure to neutral stimuli increases positive feelings toward them.

Professor: So, let me illustrate the mere exposure effect with a classic study. In this experiment, researchers showed participants a series of simple, meaningless shapes, like irregular polygons, for a very short time—just a few milliseconds. After that, they showed the same shapes again, but this time mixed with new shapes. The participants were asked to rate how much they liked each shape. Interestingly, they consistently rated the shapes they had seen before as more likable, even though they couldn't consciously recall seeing them earlier. Another example: In a real-world context, researchers played certain musical melodies to shoppers in a supermarket at a low volume over several days. Later, when asked, shoppers preferred those melodies over new ones, despite not remembering hearing them. So, mere exposure works even without conscious awareness.