“Molden has brought together the most comprehensive overview of social psychological research on priming. The chapters in this volume illuminate the history and intellectual roots of priming research, current controversies about the nature and replicability of priming effects, and the significance of theory in identifying their boundary conditions. It is a ‘must-read’ resource for everyone who wants to understand the range and the limits of priming effects on social behavior.”

—Bertram Gawronski, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin


“Priming has long been a central concept in both cognitive and social psychology, yet only recently has the concept taken on different meanings with various uses. Numerous questions and issues have been debated in the literature, challenging what we thought we once knew. Molden has assembled first-rate scholars, including both advocates and skeptics in recent debates about priming, to provide balanced commentaries on a range of essential issues. This valuable volume highlights the landmarks, boundaries, and intersections encountered in charting the domain of this complex, but important and fascinating, area of inquiry.”

—David L. Hamilton, PhD, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara


“In this timely volume from eminent psychological scientists, social priming is demonstrated to be a pervasive phenomenon that goes far beyond semantic mechanisms. The authors convincingly show that demands to place social priming on probation are based on deep ignorance about its central role in shaping human behavior.”

—Fritz Strack, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Würzburg, Germany