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A review and meta-analysis of methodological and subject variables influencing the exposure–affect relationship was performed on studies of the mere exposure effect published in the 20 years following Zajonc's (1968) seminal monograph. Stimulus type, stimulus complexity, presentation sequence, exposure duration, stimulus recognition, age of subject, delay between exposure and ratings, and maximum number of stimulus presentations all influence the magnitude of the exposure effect. Implications of these findings are discussed in the context of previous reviews of the literature on exposure effects and with respect to prevailing theoretical models of the exposure–affect relationship. Modifications of the 2-factor model of exposure effects that increase the heuristic value of the model are described. A possible evolutionary basis of the exposure effect is discussed.

Psychologists have long observed that repeated, unreinforced exposure results in an increase in positive affect toward a stimulus (Fechner, 1876; Maslow, 1937). A number of early studies in this area (e.g., Meyer, 1903; Moore & Gilliland, 1924; Washburn, Child, & Abel, 1927) investigated the effects of repeated exposures on affect ratings of music, generally finding more positive ratings with increasing familiarity. Many of these experiments were methodologically unsound, however (i.e., involved improper control conditions or groups or no controls at all), and conclusions based on their results are somewhat tenuous. Additional indirect evidence for the hypothesis that increased exposure leads to more positive affect toward a stimulus came from studies of social interaction (e.g., Festinger, 1951; Homans, 1961; Newcomb, 1963). Although these investigations consistently demonstrated that interaction enhances the attitudes of participants toward each other, it is impossible to tell to what degree this...