Which of the following would be an example of priming in action?

• A. After seeing the word 'yellow', a person is quicker to recognize the word 'banana' in a list of words.
• B. A person learns to ride a bicycle after repeated practice sessions.
• C. A student solves a math problem by applying a learned formula.
• D. Someone recalls a childhood memory when visiting their old school.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of priming in psychology. Priming refers to the process by which exposure to one stimulus influences the response to a subsequent stimulus, without conscious guidance or intention.
2. Step 2: Identify the key feature of priming, which is that the initial stimulus activates related concepts or memories, making it easier or faster to recognize or respond to related information.
3. Step 3: Analyze each option to see if it involves this automatic activation of related information. For example, seeing the word 'yellow' and then recognizing the word 'banana' faster suggests that 'yellow' primes the concept of 'banana' because they are closely associated.
4. Step 4: Contrast this with other options: learning to ride a bicycle involves skill acquisition through practice, solving a math problem involves applying learned knowledge consciously, and recalling a childhood memory involves deliberate retrieval, none of which are examples of priming.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the example where exposure to one stimulus (the word 'yellow') facilitates quicker recognition of a related stimulus (the word 'banana') best illustrates priming.