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TRAP #042 ·VOL I The Individual · Judgment & Evaluation ErrorsLEXICON ENTRY

Priming

The Unseen Setup That Frames Every Decision Exposure to one stimulus unconsciously shapes your response to the next. *(Evidence: Mixed)* A psychological effect where exposure to a stimulus - word, image, concept or sensory cue - influences a subsequent response without conscious awareness. The primed concept lowers the activation threshold for related concepts, making certain thoughts, judgments and behaviours more likely. Replication debates have narrowed the effect: semantic and perceptual priming remain robust; complex behavioural priming (e.g. walking slowly after reading "elderly") is contested.
Category: BiasEvidence: ContestedTier 1Type: Mechanismⓘ what these mean

This is a Lexicon entry: the mechanism, when it shows up, and the countermeasure. The full correction, with real-world cases and the audit prompt, hasn't been written yet.

When it shows up

Advertising exposure before a purchase decision. Reading a news headline before evaluating a related policy. A meeting agenda framing the first discussion topic. Interview questions that prime certain self-narratives. Background music in retail environments. Linguistic priming - a sign saying 'bye' increases buying behaviour; the word 'buy' activates without conscious processing.

Failure mode

Decisions feel autonomous when they are directionally shaped by prior exposure. Marketers, politicians and interface designers exploit priming while subjects remain unaware. Overconfidence in one's own immunity to priming amplifies the effect.

Countermeasure

Introduce a deliberate pause between exposure and decision. Ask: "What did I just see, read or hear that might be shaping this?" Vary information sources before important decisions. The effect diminishes with awareness.

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Related traps

Also connected in the mapThe Affect Heuristic·4 more, locked

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This entry has the mechanism and countermeasure. The full write-up - real cases, sources, the audit prompt - comes later.

Entry #42 of 631 in The Lexicon · see the full Lexicon