Abstract

One of the most influential ideas in psychology is that human behavior is, to a large extent, governed by likes and dislikes… . People prefer the company of people they like and try to avoid those they do not like; people buy and consume products they like rather than those they dislike; and they vote for and support politicians and ideas that they find sympathetic rather than repelling. Furthermore, preferences influence attention, memory, and judgments and form the basis of our emotional life.