Take a moment to look at the image above of the runner crossing the finish line. According to recent research, this simple act could meaningfully improve your performance over the next several hours.

A fascinating series of field experiments has demonstrated that exposure to achievement-focused imagery – like someone winning a race – had a significant and measurable impact on subsequent performance.  Surprisingly, this effect lasted for several hours, far longer than previously thought possible.  Perhaps most intriguing was that this performance enhancement occurred without conscious awareness.  Visual priming generally works at a subconscious level. 

The research, conducted across three separate studies found that those exposed to achievement imagery performed significantly better at complex tasks requiring focus and persistence.  The effect size was substantial (d=.56), indicating a meaningful real-world impact.  This research is part of a broader scientific understanding of how our environment subtly shapes our behavior through a process called priming. Behavioral scientists have found that exposure to certain images, words, or concepts can automatically activate related mental representations, influencing how we think and act.

Priming Gone Awry?

Researchers have also found that merely exposing people to money-related images or words made them behave more independently and less helpfully toward others.  In one study, participants who were primed with money-related concepts were less likely to help someone pick up dropped items or make a donation to a worthy cause.  They even physically distanced themselves more from others when choosing where to sit.  None of the participants reported any awareness that their behavior had been influenced by the money-related imagery.

Let Me Count the Ways

Our physical and visual environment may be subtly influencing our performance, motivation, and behavior in ways we don’t realize – sometimes unintentionally and sometimes intentionally. 

Of course, priming isn’t magic – it works best when it aligns with goals we already value and want to achieve.  

For More Information, check out:  The Effect of Primed Goals on Employee Performance: Implications for Human Resource Management by Amanda Shantz and Gary Latham and one of my favorite books Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman