Priming

Priming refers to an improved ability to identify or produce a word on the basis of previous encounters, independently of any recollection of the learning episode. This seminar will examine the phenomenon of unconscious memory called priming, discuss existing EEG and fMRI studies results on the effects of priming on the brain, clarify what experimental approaches can hope to accomplish and consider the feasibility of conducting new experiments. Chaired by: Simon Kemp (Somerville, Oxford). Dr Masud Husain (New College, Dept of Experimental Psychology & Nuffield Dept of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford): The Neuroscience of Unconscious Memory. Masud Husain, Professor of Neurology & Cognitive Neuroscience at Oxford, will present evidence regarding the effects of unconscious memory on behaviour. He will examine findings from patients with focal brain damage as well as neuroimaging studies in healthy individuals. The talk will consider the range of levels at which priming may occur, from perception through to associative memories and actions. Dr Ben Morgan (Worcester, Oxford): Automaticity and Priming.