A puppet controlled by economic forces, illustrating the influence of priming on decisions.

The Sneaky Psychology of Selfish Decisions: Are Small Cues Controlling Your Choices?

Jordan Keane in Mind & Education August 2025 • 4 min read.

"New research reveals how subtle prompts can dramatically shift our economic behavior, turning generosity into self-interest. Discover the hidden forces influencing your decisions."

We like to think we're in control, especially when money's involved. But what if tiny, almost invisible nudges could swing our decisions from fair to selfish? That's the unsettling question at the heart of a new study exploring the 'priming' effect on economic choices. The findings suggest that we might be less rational and more easily manipulated than we'd like to believe.

For years, economists have observed a curious trend: economics students tend to act more selfishly than their peers in other fields. Are they just wired differently, or does their training somehow strip away empathy? The conventional wisdom points to two explanations: either selfish people are drawn to economics (the 'selection effect'), or studying economics breeds a dog-eat-dog mentality (the 'indoctrination effect').

However, researchers are beginning to question these long-held beliefs. What if the context of the decision—the subtle cues and prompts we receive—plays a more significant role than previously thought? This article explores how seemingly insignificant primes can trigger selfish behavior, regardless of your background or moral compass.

Priming: How Subtle Cues Can Hijack Your Decision-Making

A puppet controlled by economic forces, illustrating the influence of priming on decisions.

Priming, in psychological terms, refers to how exposure to one stimulus influences a response to a subsequent stimulus, without conscious awareness. It's like planting a seed in your mind that subtly shapes your thoughts and actions. This effect is amplified when the situation is ambiguous, meaning it can be interpreted in multiple ways. In these instances, the cues we receive can disproportionately influence which norms we apply.

Think of it this way: imagine you're about to negotiate a deal. If you've just read an article about cutthroat business tactics, you might approach the negotiation more aggressively than if you'd been reading about collaboration and community. The article acts as a prime, steering your behavior in a particular direction.

Market Norms vs. Social Norms: We constantly navigate between these two sets of rules. Market norms are transactional and focused on self-interest, while social norms prioritize fairness, reciprocity, and the well-being of others.
Context Matters: Our choices are heavily influenced by the context in which they’re made. Are we in a business meeting or a volunteer event? Our perception of the environment dictates which norms take precedence.
The Power of Suggestion: Priming works by making certain concepts more accessible in our minds. Words, images, or even subtle environmental cues can trigger associations that impact our behavior.

Several studies have demonstrated the power of priming in economic contexts. For example, researchers found that participants who played a game called the 'Wall Street Game' were more likely to act competitively than those who played the same game under the title 'Community Game'. The mere title of the game was enough to shift people's behavior.

Unmasking the Hidden Architects of Our Choices

These findings carry significant implications. If our economic decisions are so easily swayed by subtle primes, it raises questions about the extent to which we are truly in control. It also highlights the importance of being aware of the cues in our environment and how they might be influencing our choices, especially in situations where fairness and ethical considerations are paramount. Further research should explore stronger or domain-specific cues to determine how to help non-economics students act like profit maximizers to a greater extent than economics students, and vice-versa.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.13140/rg.2.2.32166.74566,

Title: Large Effects Of Small Cues: Priming Selfish Economic Decisions

Subject: econ.gn q-fin.ec

Authors: Avichai Snir, Dudi Levy, Dian Wang, Haipeng Allan Chen, Daniel Levy

Published: 06-05-2024

Everything You Need To Know

What is 'priming' and how does it influence our economic choices, according to the research?

Priming, as defined in the context, is when exposure to a stimulus influences a response to a subsequent stimulus without conscious awareness. In the realm of economic choices, this means that subtle cues or prompts can shift our behavior. For instance, if one is exposed to information related to cutthroat business tactics, they may approach a negotiation more aggressively due to the priming effect. This concept reveals that seemingly insignificant factors can trigger selfish behavior, impacting decisions related to fairness and ethical considerations, as our minds make associations based on the cues present in our environment.

How do 'Market Norms' and 'Social Norms' come into play, and how are they related to the context's findings?

The context explains that we constantly navigate between 'Market Norms' and 'Social Norms'. 'Market Norms' are transactional and focus on self-interest, while 'Social Norms' prioritize fairness, reciprocity, and the well-being of others. The research suggests that our choices are heavily influenced by the context in which they're made. The study demonstrates that priming can shift which norms take precedence. So, if exposed to cues associated with 'Market Norms', one might be more inclined to act selfishly, whereas cues linked to 'Social Norms' could promote more cooperative behavior. Our perception of the environment dictates which norms we apply, with priming playing a key role in subtly shaping these perceptions.

What's the significance of the 'Wall Street Game' example, and how does it illustrate the power of 'priming'?

The 'Wall Street Game' example effectively illustrates the power of 'priming'. Researchers found that participants who played the game under the title 'Wall Street Game' were more likely to act competitively, in contrast to those playing under the title 'Community Game', despite the game's mechanics being identical. This demonstrates that the mere title of the game, acting as a prime, was sufficient to shift participants' behavior. This shows how subtle environmental cues can significantly impact our economic decisions, influencing whether we prioritize self-interest ('Wall Street Game') or community ('Community Game').

Why is the study's exploration of 'priming' relevant to understanding economic behavior, and what implications does it carry?

The exploration of 'priming' is relevant because it challenges the conventional wisdom that people are always in full control of their economic decisions. It reveals that our choices are surprisingly susceptible to external influences. The findings carry significant implications because they question the extent to which we are truly in control of our choices. It highlights the importance of being aware of environmental cues and their potential impact on our decisions, particularly in situations where fairness and ethical considerations are paramount. It implies that interventions could be designed to encourage more ethical or collaborative behavior.

Can you elaborate on how 'priming' works by impacting our perception of context and influencing our actions?

'Priming' works by making certain concepts more accessible in our minds, thereby shaping our subsequent thoughts and behaviors. The process often occurs without our conscious awareness. The context that surrounds a decision significantly affects which norms we prioritize. Words, images, or subtle environmental cues can trigger associations that impact our behavior. The context could signal that we are in a business meeting (market norms) or a volunteer event (social norms). The implications are profound: By understanding how 'priming' affects us, we can become more mindful of the subtle forces shaping our choices, allowing us to make more informed and deliberate decisions, particularly in areas with ethical implications. This understanding also opens possibilities for influencing behavior through carefully designed environmental cues, like in the Wall Street Game example.