Priming
Exposure to a cue subtly shapes how we respond to something related a moment later.
What it means
Priming is the phenomenon whereby prior exposure to a stimulus influences the response to a later one without conscious intention or guidance, because the first stimulus makes related concepts, words, or behaviors more accessible in memory. The well-established forms are cognitive: semantic priming (a related word is recognized faster), perceptual priming, and repetition priming, all reflecting the spreading activation of associated representations. More contested are the flashy 'behavioral' or 'social' priming effects — claims that incidental cues like words about old age or money can change complex behavior — many of which have failed to replicate and stand at the center of the replication crisis. The mechanism is best thought of as a temporary increase in the readiness of certain mental contents rather than as a hidden lever for arbitrary action. The debate has sharpened standards for sample size, pre-registration, and direct replication in the field. It matters both as a genuine and reliable feature of memory and language and as a cautionary case study in how compelling but fragile findings can spread before they are verified.
Examples
People recognize 'nurse' faster after seeing 'doctor' (robust semantic priming); whether unscrambling old-age words makes people walk more slowly is a contested classic.
Say 'bread' and people read 'butter' a fraction faster than 'button' — the related word is already warmed up, so less evidence is needed to recognise it.
Having glanced at 'ELEPHANT' this morning, you complete 'EL_PH___' almost instantly this afternoon, with no memory of where the word came from: accessibility without recollection.
First described in Meyer & Schvaneveldt (1971); behavioral priming debates.