Editing Content theory (section)

=== Priming ===
{{See also|Priming (psychology)}}
Priming is a phenomenon, often used as an experimental technique, whereby a specific stimulus sensitizes the subject to later presentation of a similar stimulus.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://psychcentral.com/encyclopedia/priming/|title=Priming|date=2016-06-17|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Psychology|access-date=2018-10-13|language=en-US|archive-date=2018-10-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181015153047/https://psychcentral.com/encyclopedia/priming/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

"Priming refers to an increased sensitivity to certain stimuli, resulting from prior exposure to related visual or audio messages. When an individual is exposed to the word "cancer," for example, and then offered the choice to smoke a cigarette, we expect that there is a greater probability that they will choose not to smoke as a result of the earlier exposure."<ref name="AutoRef1">{{cite journal |last1 = Elgendi |first1 = Mohamed |last2 = Kumar |first2 = Parmod |last3 = Barbic |first3 = Skye |last4 = Howard |first4 = Newton |last5 = Abbott |first5 = Derek |last6 = Cichocki |first6 = Andrzej |date = 2018-05-30 |title = Subliminal Priming—State of the Art and Future Perspectives |journal = Behavioral Sciences |volume = 8 |issue = 6 |page = 54 |doi = 10.3390/bs8060054 |pmid = 29849006 |pmc = 6027235 |issn = 2076-328X |doi-access = free }}</ref>

Priming can affect motivation, in the way that we can be motived to do things by an outside source.

Priming can be linked with the mere exposure theory. People tend to like things that they have been exposed to before. Mere exposer theory is used by advertising companies to get people to buy their products. An example of this is seeing a picture of the product on a signboard and then buying that product later. If an individual is in a room with two strangers they are more likely to gravitate towards the person that they occasionally pass on the street, than the person that they have never seen before. An example of the use of mere exposure theory can be seen in product placements in movies and TV shows. We see a product that is in our favorite movie, and hence we are more inclined to buy that product when we see it again.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://psychcentral.com/encyclopedia/mere-exposure-effect/|title=Mere Exposure Effect|date=2016-06-17|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Psychology|access-date=2018-10-13|language=en-US|archive-date=2018-10-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181015153121/https://psychcentral.com/encyclopedia/mere-exposure-effect/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Priming can fit into these categories; Semantic Priming, Visual Priming, Response Priming, Perceptual and Conceptual Priming, Positive and Negative Priming, Associative and Context Priming, and Olfactory Priming. Visual and Semantic priming is the most used in motivation. Most priming is linked with emotion, the stronger the emotion, the stronger the connection between memory and the stimuli.<ref name="AutoRef1" />

Priming also has an effect on drug users. In this case, it can be defined as, the reinstatement or increase in drug craving by a small dose of the drug or by stimuli associated with the drug. If a former drug user is in a place where they formerly did drugs, then they are tempted to do that same thing again even if they have been clean for years.<ref name=":5" />