Effects of Background Variation on Positive Habituation and Tedium 1

Abstract

From research on Berlyne's two-factor (positive habituation and tedium) theory, it was hypothesized that if stimuli are presented in homogeneous sequences, constant background stimuli will allow the two factors to proceed unabated, resulting in an inverted-U relationship between exposure and attitudinal favorability, whereas changing background stimuli will mitigate against each factor in turn, producing the U relationship. Ideographs were presented in different frequencies either against an unchanging background (Repetition Condition) or against a changing background (Variation Condition). The inverted-U relationship was not obtained in the former condition, but the U relationship was in the latter (p_.05). The most salient finding was that a shifting background mitigates against tedium as shown by a final increase in favorability ratings over exposures in the Variation Condition alone (p_.05), decreasing ratings for stimuli shown later in the exposure sequence in the Repetition Condition alone (p_.01), and higher ratings of the maximum frequency stimulus in the Variation as compared to the Repetition Condition.