We tend to like things simply because we have seen them before.
Psychologist Robert Zajonc showed people nonsense words, shapes and faces, and found that the more often something was shown, the more they liked it. This is the mere-exposure effect, and it works even when people do not consciously remember seeing the item.
Why is this true?
Familiarity signals safety to the brain, so repeated exposure feels comfortable. It explains why songs grow on you, why advertising repeats, and why most people prefer their mirror image to a photograph of themselves.
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More about psychology
Psychology facts describe the shortcuts your mind takes without asking permission. We misjudge randomness, remember interrupted tasks better than finished ones, and change our answers when a group disagrees with us. The entries here stick to findings that have held up under replication, avoid the pop-science versions that overstate them, and explain what the effect really predicts about everyday behaviour.