Priming is the activation, often unconscious, of particular associations in memory, which then influences subsequent thoughts, feelings, or behaviour. It occurs when exposure to a stimulus makes related concepts or responses more accessible.

For example, reading the word "bread" makes it faster to recognise the word "butter" afterwards. Priming can be perceptual, conceptual, or semantic, and it is often used in cognitive psychology research to study implicit memory. It operates outside conscious awareness, which is why it is considered a form of implicit memory.

Key points

• Activation of associations by a prior stimulus
• Often unconscious and automatic
• Speeds up recognition or response
• Used to study implicit memory