| Description |
Items seen for the second time in an experiment (old items) can be perceived more readily (fluently) than items seen for the first time (new items( (e.g., Jacoby & Dallas, 1981). Johnston, Dark, & Jacoby, (1985) found that perceptual fluency influenced recognition judgments. Items with greater perceptual fluency were more often judged as familiar. The present research hypothesized that perceptual fluency is used as a cue in making affective judgments. In the test phase of a recognition task, each item was gradually clarified until it was identified, at which time subjects made a like/dislike judgment. Higher liking was expected to be associated with more fluently perceived words. The experimental data showed that greater perceptual fluency was associated with higher liking, but only if words were reported correctly in the earlier reading/study phase. It is proposed that perceptual fluency is a mediating factor of the mere exposure effect and that stimuli may need to be supraliminal for the mere exposure effect to occur. |
