PhiloPsycho Freedom

 

Our first lesson will be on social priming and social interactions.

So, what is priming? Priming is when some stimulus causes us to be more likely to expect something related (Read: perceived to be related) to happen. For instance, if primed with the word "dog", you'll react more quickly when you see the word "cat" (because it's related) when asked if it is a word or a non-word.

Now let's apply this to a social situation: I'm on a university campus; there's a random student in front of me who appears about the same age as me and it is visually apparent that we are both students. If I were to approach this random stranger, they will most likely be wary of me. One might say for good reason: "What does this guy want?"; "Am I going to

be robbed?"; "I hope he doesn't ask me for change"; etc.

Now let's consider a different scene: I'm at a club, the music is good, people are having a good time, and I approach a random stranger here. In this scene, it's much more acceptable to not only approach the stranger, but to actually physically touch them (dancing, don't get any ideas). This is an example of social priming where the scene dictates the acceptable behaviour of interaction.

Let's analyze the difference between the scenes:

In the first, it's outside, during the day, there are people around and words can easily be exchanged without being bumped or overpowered by top 40 music.

In the second scene, the air is moist and thick, you're most likely under the influence of alcohol, you're physically aroused (note: physically, not sexually), and in all likelihood you cannot hear the person.

Compared to the second scene, the first scene seems more safe and productive, if somewhat less fun. But of these two situations, the first scene is the one where the approacher is considered a "weirdo" or a "creep".

Point being: If someone approaches you in a public place on a university campus and they're about your age, how about a little more hospitality? On the other hand, if you're in a major city and the person appears to be out of it, then you might want to be a little wary.