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🎠social psychology review

Cognitive priming

Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025

Definition

Cognitive priming is a psychological phenomenon where exposure to a specific stimulus influences a person's subsequent thoughts, behaviors, or perceptions. This effect can occur both consciously and unconsciously, often shaping how individuals interpret new information based on previous experiences or exposures. It plays a crucial role in understanding how media, especially violent content, can impact viewers’ attitudes and behaviors by activating related thoughts or memories.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

  1. Cognitive priming can lead to increased aggression in individuals who are frequently exposed to violent media by activating aggressive thoughts and behaviors.
  2. Research indicates that even brief exposure to violent content can have lasting effects on how individuals respond to real-life situations.
  3. Cognitive priming is not limited to violence; it can also influence attitudes toward gender roles, racial stereotypes, and other social issues when related media is consumed.
  4. The effects of cognitive priming can vary based on individual differences, such as personality traits and prior experiences with violence.
  5. Understanding cognitive priming is essential for creating effective interventions aimed at reducing the impact of media violence on behavior.

Review Questions

  • How does cognitive priming relate to the effects of media violence on behavior?
    • Cognitive priming explains how exposure to violent media can activate aggressive thoughts and behaviors in viewers. When individuals watch violent content, it primes their minds to react with aggression in similar real-life situations. This connection shows how repeated exposure not only influences immediate reactions but also shapes long-term behavioral patterns related to aggression.
  • Discuss the implications of cognitive priming for understanding desensitization in viewers of violent media.
    • Cognitive priming contributes significantly to desensitization as it reinforces aggressive thoughts each time an individual consumes violent media. As these thoughts become more accessible due to repeated exposure, the viewer may become less emotionally responsive to real-life violence. This change in perception can lead to a normalization of aggressive behavior, making individuals less likely to feel empathy or concern for victims of violence.
  • Evaluate the role of cognitive priming in shaping societal attitudes towards violence and aggression through media consumption.
    • Cognitive priming plays a critical role in shaping societal attitudes towards violence by consistently activating related concepts in individuals' minds through media exposure. As people engage with violent content, they begin to adopt and internalize aggressive norms and behaviors that are frequently depicted. Over time, this leads to a broader cultural acceptance of violence as a solution to conflict, thereby influencing societal attitudes and potentially escalating real-world aggression.