According to social psychologists, this factor describes how repeated interactions with a person or stimulus is often sufficient to produce attraction?

In accordance with social psychologists, the mere exposure factor describes why or how frequent interactions with a stimulus or person is often enough to produce attraction.

• Mere Exposure and Attraction

The mere exposure factor, also often referred to as the familiarity factor, or principle, refers to the frequently observed phenomenon liking something more everytime one is exposed to it. In other words, the more two individuals interact with one another, the more they get to like each other.

This not only applies to people, but also to objects or places. This can be seen particularly well when, for instance, a favorite gadget has to be replaced. The initial reaction is frequently one of dislike, as the old one was 'much better'. The more the new gadget is used, the more the user begins to like it, until ultimately, it becomes 'much better' than the old one.

Someone moving home after a long time in the same place will only really feel at home in the new place and begin to see all its good qualities after they have been there a while.

• Social Allergy

The so-called social allergy effect refers to an individual finding another person's annoying habits more and more irritating as time goes by, rather than growing to like the person's idiosyncrasies more and more.

For instance, when a couple has just been married, the new wife may describe her husband's habit of throwing his socks around the bedroom as 'He's such a little sweetheart, just like a little boy'.

A year down the line her comment is likely to be: 'I wish he would grow up. I am so fed up of picking his smelly socks up after him. Does he think I am his mother?' Rather than growing more fond of his habit, she is beginning to resent it.

Proximity