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“Oh, how nice to see a familiar face!” Maybe that’s something your grandma said, but I’m sure it’s something we’ve all experienced. And it’s a good feeling, right? Unless they’re a dick, of course.

Humans just love familiarity. It makes sense, evolution-wise: the people you know tend to be on your side whereas a caveman from another tribe is just as likely to knock you over the head as offer you a cuppa. It’s the same with food and drink – red wine and blue cheese are definitely acquired tastes. Again, makes sense: if you went around tasting every new berry you found you probably wouldn’t last long.

This dislike of “novel stimulus” has been acknowledged since the 1800s. It has also been shown that repeated exposure to any “weird new thing” makes it more likeable each time. This is known as the “mere-exposure” effect. Eventually, the new thing becomes a familiar thing. And if you know any red wine and blue cheese fiends, the now-familiar thing can be totally awesome.

The mere-exposure effect also applies to music. Why do you think radio stations and MTV have about five songs on repeat all day? They know. It may also explain the limited audience of Radio One. The coolest thing is that you can test this effect on yourself!

Do try this at home!
You need: A recommended song,* YouTube, headphones/speakers, and something to do.
1. Pick a song you’ve never heard, from a genre you don’t listen to.
2. Put the song on repeat and listen to it three to five times while doing something else.
3. Wait for a day, then listen again.

Do you like it more than the first time? Yeahhh mere-exposure. That’s science, bitches.

*Ask a friend, or try “This Charming Man” – The Smiths; “My Number” – Foals; “Can I Kick It” – A Tribe Called Quest; “So High” – Males; or, if you’re feeling brave, “Dies Irae” from Mozart’s Requiem.