The mere exposure effect is a psychological phenomenon which leads to people developing a preference for things just because they are familiar with them.
Have you ever noticed that you may choose to go out and eat cuisines you are familiar with instead of those you have never tried? You might go to a market and see an Indian, American, Thai or Chinese restaurant but you might not be familiar with one or two and end up picking the ones you already know.
You may end up buying the same brand of products such as toothpaste, shampoo, facewash not because you are satisfied but because you always bought it and are familiar with it.
Seeing someone many times, even if you haven’t talked to them, can lead to developing a preference for them as well. You might feel a bit at ease if you see them amidst unfamiliar faces.
You may also feel neutral towards a particular song but end up liking it more and more after each listen!
But this particular preference may even decrease after repeated exposures. You may get tired of eating the same cuisine everyday even though it was your favourite. Listening to a song you liked multiple times can also lead to you getting bored of it.
Familiarity with things can help reduce our perception of them as threats. It takes less effort to process things we have already seen or experienced a few times. It also gives a sense of comfort. But this effect can stop us from trying out new experiences which may in the end turn out to be a better choice. You may even end up liking this new experience more! But since you are under this effect, you may never discover a potentially better option.
Missing new opportunities that could have done wonders for you just because you were under the influence of this effect can be disappointing. It is necessary to realise so and go out, grab these open doors to help improve yourself! Don’t just stick to familiarity, explore the unfamiliarity.
Psyche Trail 
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