I discussed the possible consequences and showed several examples of subliminal perception. Priming is a comparative process in which a stimulus activates knowledge structures. Word association is a good example of such a knowledge structure. I will explain to you what major influence priming can have by using several striking examples.
The most important thing to remember about priming is the word ‘accessibility’. By seeing a specific image or word, associations are activated and become more accessible. These words are now more ‘on top of your mind’ in comparison to other random words. Next to association, recency and vividness are other factors that influence this ‘on top of your mind’ness. For example, have you ever thought about the reason why a specific person is picked out of a large group when a charity organization like Greenpeace wants attention for the environmental problems? The key to this question lies with vividness. By setting a concrete (and therefore more vivid) example, it’s easier to remember and consequently easier to recall; it stays more accessible.
A good example to see the differences in perception because of priming:
People significantly overestimate the number of murders while they severely underestimate the number of burglaries. The reason: Priming. Because of the fact that murders are mentioned more frequently in the news than burglaries, this crime will be more active in one’s mind and therefore the amount of murders will be overestimated.
The last example doesn’t need very much of an explanation, just see for yourself how the mind of these people is tricked.
I hope you enjoyed reading my blog again, thanks for reading anyway ;)
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