Trait and state anxiety reduce the mere exposure effect

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Cognitive Science
• Affective Science

Background:

• The mere exposure effect, a preference for familiar items, has an uncertain mechanism.
• It is debated whether the effect relies on affective processes or perceptual/motor fluency.
• Anxiety is linked to emotional experience, making it a relevant factor to study.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if trait and state anxiety influence the mere exposure effect.
• To explore the role of affective processes versus fluency in the mere exposure effect.
• To understand how anxiety impacts the experience of familiarity.

Main Methods:

• Participants completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory to assess anxiety levels.
• Two studies examined trait anxiety (Study 1) and state anxiety (Study 2).
• Measures included response times (fluency) and affect ratings.

Main Results:

• Increased trait and state anxiety correlated with more negative and less positive affect.
• Higher anxiety levels were associated with a diminished mere exposure effect.
• Response times (fluency measures) did not correlate with the mere exposure effect.

Conclusions:

• Findings support the role of affective processes in the mere exposure effect.
• Anxiety is linked to a reduced experience of positive affect from familiarity.
• This research offers new insights into the nature of anxiety and its impact on emotional responses.