Episode Details
Back to Episodes
How the Mere Exposure Effect Shapes Office Favoritism
Description
In this episode of The Office Politics Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore the Mere Exposure Effect—the psychological bias that makes us prefer people simply because we see them more often. They discuss how this subtle force fuels office favoritism, shapes promotion decisions, and influences who gets the good projects, using real-world examples like the classic 1968 study by Robert Zajonc and a 2017 analysis of 1.7 million performance reviews. Lucas shares why visibility beats performance in many workplaces, and Luna offers practical tips for making yourself more present without being annoying. They also examine how the effect plays into hybrid work, where remote colleagues lose the proximity advantage, and why introverts need a strategy for being seen. Tune in to learn how to work the exposure bias ethically and why your brain craves the familiar at work.