Priming Theory

Research on the depictions of violence and aggression in the media has garnered a significant amount of attention from social scientists. A number of theoretical models have been developed to help understand whether or not seeing violent content in the media is associated with increased levels of aggression in the lives of viewers. A component that many of these theories have in common is the concept of “priming.” This entry outlines the concept of priming, describes some of the key findings of priming research focused on aggression in the media, explains how priming has been used in two [Page 291]social psychology theories focused on media and aggression, and describes how priming can be used in future research examining the effects of violent content in the ...