Priming

Priming is a cognitive process, that is, an implicit function of one’s memory, in which a recent experience causes one’s sensitivity to related items to be increased. As a result, while one is conducting an action or a task, particular associations or representations are already active in memory and impact the outcome of the action or the task. Priming can happen in every part of one’s experience; it occurs when somebody who is expecting a BABY (Note: uppercase words represent concepts in this entry) sees babies everywhere; it occurs when a person who buys yellow shoes starts to see yellow shoes everywhere; and it occurs when those exposed to words of RUDENESS are more likely to interrupt others in their communications. Thus, in priming, a ...