The hidden influence: How Subtle Cues Shape Behaviour

Can something you barely notice influence what you think, feel, or do next?

In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore Priming — the psychological effect where exposure to one stimulus can subtly influence how we respond to something that follows. We look at how words, images, and other cues can activate associations in our minds, shaping our perceptions and behaviour without conscious awareness.

But how much of our response is truly our own — and how much has been influenced by what came before? Discover how Priming can shape our judgments, guide our attention, and reveal the hidden influence of seemingly insignificant cues.

Studies and links

• Automaticity of Social Behavior: Direct Effects of Trait Construct and Stereotype Activation on Action | Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1996. Vol. 71, No. 2. 230-244 Bargh_et_al_1996_Automaticity_of_social_behavior.pdf
• Priming a New Identity: Self-Monitoring Moderates the Effects of Nonself Primes on Self-Judgments and Behavior | Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2005, Vol. 89, No. 5, 657– 671 2005-jpsp-demarree-wheeler-petty.pdf
• Washing Away Your Sins: Threatened Morality and Physical Cleansing | Science 313, 1451 (2006); - Zhong & Liljenquist 2006.pdf