Effects of Priming on Problem Solving in Medical and Paramedical Students: A Study

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of priming on an individual's problem-solving ability, investigate the existence and direction of the relationship, and examine whether gender differences influence the extent of priming. A sample of 625 undergraduate medical and paramedical students was randomly assigned to either a positive or negative priming group. Data was collected through online forms using Ditloid puzzles, which assess a person's linguistic and word-forming (verbal) ability. The results showed a statistically significant difference between the positively primed group, which had a higher number of correctly answered questions, and the negatively primed group. Additionally, females outperformed males in the number of correctly answered questions, but the extent of priming was similar for both genders, with no significant difference between them.