THE MERE EXPOSURE EFFECT IS BASED ON IMPLICIT MEMORY - EFFECTS OF STIMULUS TYPE, ENCODING CONDITIONS, AND NUMBER OF EXPOSURES ON RECOGNITION AND AFFECT JUDGMENTS

Research by D. L. Schacter and L. A. Cooper (e.g., Schacter et al., 19 90, 1991) has shown that certain variables can dissociate explicit and implicit memory on recognition and object decision tests. If the same type of implicit memory representation is used in the affective prefe rence test as in the object decision test, similar dissociations shoul d occur for recognition and affect judgments. In 3 experiments the aut hors found a number of dissociations. However, unlike previous researc h that found object decision priming only for possible figures, a mere exposure effect was observed for possible and impossible figures. The authors conclude that the mere exposure effect is based on implicit m emory, but it can be based on a different type of implicit memory repr esentation than that used for object decision priming. D. L. Schacter and L. A. Cooper's conception of a structural description system was u sed to describe the findings and to provide a new interpretation of th e mere exposure effect.