Psychological effect helps Eurovision fans to make their minds up

British hopes of emulating the success of Bucks Fizz by winning the Eurovision Song Contest may be hampered because of a psychological phenomenon, an academic has suggested.

Diarmuid Verrier from Sheffield Hallam University, who will present his research at the British Psychological Society Annual Conference today, Thursday 11 April, in Harrogate, suggests the UK might be sounding a bum note with Eurovision judges because they get an instant passport to the Eurovision final.

This means judges are not influenced by "mere exposure" or the familiarity effect - the tendency for people to feel more positive about stimuli to which they have previously been exposed, such as a televised semi-final.

Diarmuid's research suggests that appearing in one of two semi-final stages for the competition can hike countries up the leader board by up to one place.

Eurovision fan Diarmuid's findings are a blow to the UK's hopes of recapturing the top prize with Bonnie Tyler's 2013 effort Believe In Me, having last won the competition 1997.

The Eurovision semi-finals were introduced in 2004, and all subsequent winners of the competition with the exception of Germany had appeared in these stages, Diarmuid said.

He added: "Although political voting and, hopefully, a decent tune will always play a part in how Eurovision contests are decided, this research suggests a third influence in the contest.

"My research shows that contestants did better if they previously appeared in a semi-final seen by voters, and is evidence that the "mere exposure" effect can be applied to Eurovision voting habits, alongside cultural and geographical closeness.

"It suggests that the UK may want to reconsider the decision to bypass the semi-final stages of the competition if it is to recapture the victories of 1981 and 1997."

As one of the biggest financial contributors to the competition, the UK is currently exempt from the semi-finals along with three others and the host nation.

Diarmuid looked at results from the last four years of the Eurovision Song Contest. He found that participants in each semi-final were more likely to give higher votes to other countries that appeared in the same semi-final.

He found that this resulted in around six votes more in the Eurovision final itself, approximately one ranking place amongst lower ranking nations and half a ranking place among higher placed countries.

Evidence for the influence of the mere-exposure effect on voting in the Eurovision Song Contest was published in Judgement and Decision Making, volume 7, no. 5 on September 5 2012, pp. 639-643. The British Psychological Society is the representative body for psychology and psychologists in the UK. It is responsible for the development, promotion and application of psychology for the public good.

For press information contact: Laurie Harvey on 0114 225 2621 or email pressoffice@shu.ac.uk