Schema activation: the priming phenomenon

Mental schemata, those organized structures of knowledge, are not always active in our minds.

Their influence on thought and behavior depends on their being activated or "brought to the forefront" of consciousness.

Priming is one of the key processes by which schemata become temporarily more accessible and therefore more likely to be used to interpret social information.

The Concept of Priming

Priming refers to the process by which recent experiences increase the accessibility of a particular schema, trait, or concept, making it more likely to be used to interpret new information.

It functions as a kind of mental "priming": exposure to certain stimuli (words, images, ideas) can activate related schemata, which then influence our subsequent perceptions and judgments, often unconsciously.

Mechanisms of Activation

The activation of A schema can be primed for a variety of reasons:

• Chronic Activation: Some schemas are chronically accessible because of our frequent past experiences. For example, if we've had many interactions with people from a certain group, our schema about that group may be more activated.

• Relationship to a Current Goal: A schema can become accessible if it is related to a goal we are currently pursuing. If we are looking for a mate, schemas related to attractiveness or desirable qualities in a mate may be more active.

• Recent Experience: This is the most direct form of priming. A recent experience can make a schema temporarily more accessible. For example, if we just read an article about dishonest people, we might be more likely to interpret someone's ambiguous behavior as a sign of dishonesty.

Illustration of Priming: The Donald Experiment

A classic study illustrating priming is that of Higgins, Rholes, and Jones (1977). In this experiment, participants were exposed (primed) to different sets of words.

One group was primed with words related to "adventure" (brave, independent), while another group was primed with words related to "recklessness" (daredevil, hardheaded).

Both groups then read an ambiguous description of a character named Donald,whose actions could be interpreted as both adventurous and reckless (mountain climbing, participating in demolition derbies).

The results showed that participants tended to form impressions of Donald that were consistent with the words they had previously been primed with.

Those primed with "adventurous" viewed him more positively than those primed with "recklessness."

This study demonstrates how a recent, seemingly unrelated experience can influence the interpretation of new social information through schema activation.