Media Priming and Association

According to Dillman Carpentier, priming is associated with the simulation of an idea in someone's memory. This could be a sound, picture, word, or any combination. This process tracks what the persons’ next thought or behavior will be, without the realization of the effect. To understand this theory more, Warren Davis gave the example of college students. When you think of college students, most of the time your first thought is partying then being financially burdened and so on. This is a perfect example of priming.

The example I am going to provide is from a popular show host, Jimmy Fallon. The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon is known for its hilarious comedy sketches, celebrity interviews, and more. The Tonight Show invites Melissa McCarthy to play picture association game. This hilarious skit is the ideal example of priming. In this video, a random picture will generate then Jimmy and Melissa take turns associating a word with the picture.

Even though this is a fun game you can play with your friends, this shows how certain cues trigger a memory or experience. In the video, a picture of mayonnaise appears and Jimmy’s first word is “ew” in a funny accent. This accent is a reference to a recurring skit he does as a teenage girl. This example indicates that when Jimmy saw the image it triggered a response and associated it with a previous memory.

Priming and/or association can happen at any time. Most of the time you are unware of how certain words, pictures, or ideas influence your thoughts or behaviors. These types of incidents happen to you unknowingly. David McRaney’s famous quote, “You are unaware of how aware you are.”

Davis 2021 Video Lectures

Dillman Carpentier 2017 Priming