The Effects of Priming on Nutrition
Priming is a psychological phenomenon where you subconsciously link
stimulus that you’re exposed to with remembered concepts, words,
sounds, sights, or smells. What does this mean, and how does it work?
Think of your brain as a blank slate. Now think of the Apple logo.
- The apple logo primes you to think about the iPhone, iPad and other apple products as well as creativity.
- A study showed that people who were primed with Apple were more creative then those who weren't.
Priming in advertising
- Flyers primed with the words "healthy" or "low calorie" caused shoppers who were overweight or dieting to buy 75% less snacks than shoppers handed flyers with no nutritional information.
- Offering deals like 10 for $10 is a priming tool used to used to get rid of excess or almost expired products.
- People who watched TV with commercials advertising food ate 45% more snacks than those who did not have food commercials.
- If this trend stays true then a person could add 10 pounds of weight over a one year span.
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Take home message
While priming is a powerful tool used companies and advertisers to sell you things, it isn’t a guarantee. So next time you want to reach for the potato chips in the middle of a commercial break just ask yourself: am I really hungry, or am I being primed?
References:
References
Cabler, J. (n.d.). 13 Ways Supermarkets Trick You Into Spending More Money.
Fitzsimons, G. M., Chartrand, T. L., & Fitzsimons, G. J. (2008, June). Automatic Effects of Brand Exposure on Motivated Behavior: How Apple Makes You "Think Different" Journal of Consumer Research, 35, 21-35. doi:10.1086/527269
Harris, J. L., Bargh, J. A., & Brownell, K. D. (2009). Priming Effects of Television Food Advertising on Eating Behavior. American Psychological Association, 28(4), 404-413. doi:10.1037/a0014399
Lexical Decision Tasks, Semantic Priming, and Reading. (2014, November 6). Retrieved July 2, 2016, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/priming
Lindstrom, M. (2011, September 15). How Whole Foods "Primes" You To Shop. Retrieved from http://www.fastcompany.com/1779611/how-whole-foods-primes-you-shop
Papies, E., Potjes, I., Keesman, M., Schwinghammer, S., & Koningsbruggen, G. V. (2014). Using health primes to reduce unhealthy snack purchases among overweight consumers in a grocery store. International Journal of Obesity, 38, 597-602.
Priming. (2011, March 10). Retrieved July 2, 2016, from https://explorable.com/priming