Spreading activation
Thinking of one concept automatically primes the ones linked to it.
What it means
Spreading activation is the proposed mechanism by which retrieving or attending to a concept in a semantic network sends activation outward along associative links, raising the accessibility of related concepts. The strength of the effect falls with conceptual distance and link strength, and it operates rapidly and largely without awareness. It is the standard explanation for semantic priming, where reading 'doctor' speeds recognition of 'nurse,' and it informs models of memory search, the tip-of-the-tongue state, and creativity. The theory accounts for both helpful facilitation and interference among competing associates. It is one of the most influential ideas in the cognitive psychology of memory and language.
Examples
Hearing 'bread' makes 'butter' come to mind and be recognized faster, as activation spreads between the linked concepts.
A friend mentions Paris over coffee and an hour later the crossword clue 'four-letter tower' lands instantly — the whole neighbourhood of related concepts is still warm.
Supermarket research finds that playing French accordion music lifts French wine sales: the music activates a web of associations that makes the linked bottles easier to bring to mind.
First described in Collins & Loftus (1975).