Exposure Frequency and Stimulus Preference

Three experiments were carried out to determine the effect of exposure frequency on preferences for random shapes. Other variables investigated were sex, instructional set, initial stimulus meaning, duration of exposure, and the subject's orientation towards stimulation. Exposure frequency was found to increase significantly stimulus preference in all three experiments. While there were no sex or set differences, low meaning and short exposures were found to significantly enhance the frequency‐affect relationship. Different orientations to novel versus repetitive stimulation were clearly evident in the preference functions in Expts. I and III.