Why do you watch your favorite movie or listen to your favorite song over and over again?

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The three main reasons are:

  1. The guaranteed outcome. We know it will make us happy.
  2. The enhanced viewing that results from the repeated action. (If you haven’t watched Fight Club twice, you are so so so missing out.)
  3. The rediscovery of subtle details. We love to study and understand the things we love.

Via Science Daily:

It’s one of the biggest moneymakers for Hollywood and its media empire: reruns. Reruns of television shows and movies allow for people to watch their favorite moments over and over again. But why do people do it? What drives so much consumer motivation to enjoy the same activity repeatedly? American University Professor of Marketing Cristel Russell has determined that the “re-consumption” as she calls it, is due to the guaranteed outcome, the enhanced viewing that results from the repeated action, or the rediscovery of subtle details. Professor Russell’s research is due to be published by the Journal of Consumer Research in August 2012.

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