Choices and persuasion
Priming
Also called Priming effect
Something people see or hear first changes how they take in what comes next, usually without them noticing.
Seeing a word makes related words quicker to recognise; an image sets expectations for the page around it. First impressions on a landing page prime how people read everything below.
Use it to make the next step easier to understand: show the kind of result people will get before asking them to start, or use words and images that match what they're about to do.
In practice
A project tool whose sign-up page shows a finished, busy board primes people to picture their own work in it.
Common mistake
Believing the dramatic claims. Word-to-word priming is well established, but famous studies of priming behaviour, such as people walking more slowly after reading words about old age, have failed to replicate.
Where it comes from
Studied in psychology since the mid twentieth century; David Meyer and Roger Schvaneveldt's 1971 word experiments are the classic demonstration. John Bargh's 1996 walking study is the best-known one that didn't hold up.