Response priming

Response priming is a fancy way of saying that something you see or hear can make you react in a certain way, even if you don't mean to.

For example, let's say I show you a picture of a happy face and a sad face. Even if you don't realize it, seeing the happy face might make you feel a little happier, while seeing the sad face might make you feel a little sadder. This response happens automatically, without you even thinking about it.

Similarly, if I show you a word and ask you to press a button quickly based on what color the word is written in (for example, the word "green" written in red letters), your brain might automatically respond faster or slower based on whether the word is related to the color you're supposed to be looking for (like "green" being related to the color green, which you're supposed to be looking for) or if it's unrelated (like "red" being written in green letters). This is also a kind of response priming.

Basically, response priming means that your brain can be influenced by things you see or hear in ways you might not even realize, and it can affect how you react to things without you even thinking about it.