misassociation

Misassociation is a cognitive phenomenon in which a stimulus, idea, or memory becomes linked with an incorrect or inappropriate related concept. The resulting mental connection can influence judgment, emotion, or behavior even when the association lacks a valid factual basis.

In psychology, misassociation often stems from errors in source monitoring or from semantic priming, where exposure to related concepts shapes later associations. It can produce inappropriate emotional responses to neutral stimuli or cause incorrect generalizations across related domains. For example, a person may experience fear when hearing a city’s name because of a past traumatic event associated with that place, even when the current context is unrelated. In advertising and branding, misassociation occurs when a product or brand becomes linked with unintended traits due to marketing messages, media exposure, or coincidental cues, potentially harming reputation.

Causes include memory misattribution, source-monitoring errors, priming, and reinforcement biases. Consequences can include biased judgments, poor decision-making, and conflicts between intent and public perception.

Mitigation strategies include clear labeling and attribution of information, deliberate repetition of correct associations in relevant contexts, and critical thinking interventions in education or clinical settings.

Related concepts include misattribution, source monitoring, priming, and semantic networks.