The Formula for Human Affinity and Popularity

Jul 1, 2024

The Formula for Human Affinity and Popularity

Introduction

  • Key Question: Why do we like what we like?
    • Ancient Perspectives: Golden Ratio, aesthetics
    • Modern Perspective: Influence of advertisers, technology (Google, Facebook)

Novelty vs. Familiarity

  • Novelty: Advertisers push newness (e.g., "new" was the most common word in ads).
  • Familiarity: According to the mere-exposure effect, familiarity breeds preference.
    • Examples:
      • Music: Preferences for familiar chord structures in new songs.
      • Movies: Top films are often sequels, adaptations, or reboots.
      • Self-perception: People prefer their mirror image over photographed image.
    • Evolutionary Explanation: Familiarity was safe for hunter-gatherers.

The Challenge for Creators

  • Balancing familiarity and surprise is crucial for creating successful products, ideas, etc.

Raymond Loewy and the Concept of