#94: Perceptual error primed to see spiders

I once shared a house with many black window spiders. After I correctly identified the first one, I found her sisters every where. Because I am not fond of spiders, I unthinkingly judged the next spider I saw to be a black widow. And the one after that, until all spiders became black widows.

Obviously, I was making a perceptual error. Psychologists call this one ‘priming’. It involves “any procedure that increases the availability of certain information so that it can be readily brought to mind.”

This is why, after watching a late-night horror movie, every creak in your dark house sounds ominous. And why you suspect fraud every time you read about another corporate earnings restatement. You do this because you process information based on what you can easily recall from memory. You have been primed.

What psychologist have not yet explained is how one gets out of this priming cycle. I’m tired of seeing black widows everywhere.


I’m james@nonsenseatwork.com

Copyright: 2007 James Henry McIntosh

James can be heard on Public Radio, 88.9 FM WCVE, Richmond VA.
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