Google+ Positive Psychologist: Repetition is Boring

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Thursday, June 26, 2008

Repetition is Boring



Any communication moves from interesting to boring based on the number of times it is repeated without any change. The possibility of it being ignored and even resented is high as this number increases.


The sound of a cuckoo is pleasant to the ears. But if this becomes a repetition it would be irritating. One such bird starts singing at 3 AM at the top of its voice. Sarah also has one near her house and thinks it is irritating. The song of this bird is good for sure. But the timing and the frequency spoils it.


You need to know when to, how to communicate and maintain a balance so that it does not start irritating. Advertisers have to keep this in mind. You play an ad too less: people may not even notice it. You play it too many: people will skip it and all your money goes down the drain. So the threshold should be calculated and used diligently.


The best plan is to bring innovation and change into the communication so that the viewer stays interested in it. The graph shows where you need to stop and initiate change. You can also link the Diminishing Marginal Utility Theory to this.

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