Cognitive Priming Flashcards
What is cognitive priming?
We may be exposed to cues which are unconsciously memorised and then used as scripts for our own behaviour later. Then when in a comparable situation these scripts are triggered into action e.g aggression
Why does cognitive priming not always occur?
We do not blindly act out what we see and the cues will act as triggers only of the context is similar which is rarely is
Who conducted the first study to support cognitive priming?
Josephson
What did Josephson do and find?
Investigated Canadian boys who watched violent TV programmes involving walkie talkies and the other group watched a non violent programme about a motocross team. All of the boys then played ice hockey and received instructions via walkie talkies. Those who watched the violent programme were more aggressive which suggests that the walkie talkies acted as cues
Who conducted the second study to support cognitive priming?
Fischer and Greitmeyer
What did Fischer and Greitmeyer do and find?
Male participants listened to songs featuring aggressive derogatory lyrics about women and compared this when they listened to neutral lyrics. The participants who listened to the derogatory lyrics recalled more negative qualities about women and behaved mor aggressively towards a female confederate. This study was also replicated with women and similar results were found
What is a strength/limitation of cognitive priming?
The research is mixed as there does seen t be an effect but exactly how specific it is is unclear
What are two limitations of cognitive priming?
- research is correlational
- would also need to take into account the internal factors of why people may act aggressively
