Abstract
Preferences formation: A comparative study Mere exposure vs. Classical conditioning. Mere Exposure Effect (ME) is a procedure through which people's affect and evaluations toward an object can be modified by repeated presentations of the object. Classical Conditioning (CC) is another procedure that can be used to modify preferences by pairing attitudinal objects with other stimuli. The objective of this work was to compare which of the two procedures (ME and CC) is the more effective for generating affective responses towards unfamiliar stimuli. Mere exposure effect was expected to be greater with short time exposure, whereas the classical conditioning effect was expected to decrease with short time exposure. Effects on subjects' preferences were found in both cases - subliminal mere exposure and classical conditioning with pleasant unconditioned stimulus. After comparing the effects, the authors conclude that under specific circunstances, mere exposure and classical conditioning might be equally effective procedures in modifying subjects' affective responses to new stimuli.
