What is "Positive Priming"?

Positive Psychology holds many performance-boosting tricks. Among my favorites, and among the most useful at work or school, is positive priming.

"Priming" is the term for when researchers expose a subject to one stimulus in order to influence the response to another.

For example, If I asked you to name a fast food restaurant, you might take two seconds to say "Burger King."

However, if I tell you to think of the letter M, and then ask you to name a fast food restaurant, chances are you'll say "McDonald's" in half the time, because M and McDonald's are closely associated in the brain.

So what is positive priming, and how is it useful?

Positive Priming

Positive priming does not mean inducing a happy thought; it means exposing the brain to a stimulus that accelerates processing (by contrast, negative priming slows the brain down).

The above example is a use of positive priming. M made you think of a restaurant faster. Similarly, the color yellow will help you think of a banana faster. The key word is faster; an innocuous stimulus accelerated one of the brain's basic functions: memory recollection.

Positive psychologists have found, however, that while showing a subject a color or a letter might accelerate their memory processing, giving subjects a jolt of happiness accelerates multiple brain functions. Positive priming with happiness is a way to stimulate all-around higher cognitive performance.

In other words? A temporary boost of happiness gives a temporary boost in brainpower.

To borrow a few examples from my favorite book (besides my own), a 2009 study found that putting subjects in a positive mood increased activity in the visual cortex, temporarily widening the subjects' field of vision and increasing their attentiveness.

Another study found that students asked to reminisce on the happiest day of their lives before a math test significantly outperformed their peers.

Lastly, another study found that a group of doctors positive primed with happiness (by receiving candy) accurately diagnosed patients twice as fast as a control group.

If you have a test, a presentation, or even a date coming up, jolting your happiness just beforehand can significantly increase your mental performance.

If you think about it, taking a minute to enhance your own brainpower sounds like a Jedi mind trick.

Here are five ways you can positive prime yourself with a jolt of happiness so you can enjoy a temporary boost in brainpower:

1. Eat your favorite snack
2. Speak to a loved one
3. Think of the happiest day of your life
4. Try "laughter yoga" (this one's best done alone)
5. Listen to your favorite artist on Spotify

Don't you want to positively shape the future of your organization and make a lasting impact? Be the hero who found Chris Butsch in your company and contact Kerry at KK@ROKKSPEAKERS.COM to learn if Chris is available for your upcoming event.