Preschool children's ratings of familiarized and nonfamiliarized visual stimuli

Two experiments are described in which preschool-aged Ss first observed repeated projections of six stimuli (white on black, low meaningful figures) in a familiarization phase and then rated these and six previously unseen stimuli in a test phase. The test phase for Experiment I entailed single stimulus presentations, with S responding to each by saying, “I like it” or “I don't like it”. In Experiment II, familiarized and nonfamiliarized stimuli were presented in pair-wise fashion in the test phase, S being asked to point to the one he “liked best” in each case. The results from both experiments indicate the Ss showed a significant preference for the nonfamiliarized over the familiarized stimuli. These findings are discussed in relation to: (a) those of earlier related child studies; (b) a thesis recently proposed by Zajonc (1968) to the effect that “mere exposure” to stimuli enhances attitudes toward them; and (c) the position taken by Fowler (1967) that familiarized stimuli are a source of tedium and stimulus change may constitute a reinforcing state of affairs.