We examine how repeated exposure influences the preference for highly novel ideas. We argue that the mere exposure effect fails to extend to such ideas. Instead, repeated exposure reduces preference by triggering a construal level misfit: evaluators seek concrete details, yet novel ideas offer primarily abstract information. This mismatch magnifies evaluators’ sense of unfamiliarity with each exposure. In a field study, we show that the usual mere-exposure-to-liking pathway reverses for highly novel ideas. In a subsequent quasi-experiment, we demonstrate that familiarity mediates this reversal: rather than growing more familiar with highly novel ideas, evaluators grow less familiar, which reduces their preference. These findings identify a critical boundary condition of the mere exposure effect precisely where innovation needs it most: highly novel ideas.
Ansprechpartner: Michael Rose
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