What is the term for the phenomenon where recent experiences of a stimulus facilitate or inhibit the processing of the same or similar stimuli?

The correct term for the phenomenon where recent experiences of a stimulus facilitate or inhibit the processing of the same or similar stimuli is priming. This cognitive process involves the way in which exposure to a certain stimulus can influence how quickly and effectively a person recognizes or reacts to a related stimulus. For instance, if someone is shown the word "yellow," they may be faster to recognize the word "banana" than if they had not been exposed to the color word beforehand.

Priming operates on the underlying principle that the brain makes associations between related concepts, thus making recall and recognition more efficient when a related stimulus is encountered soon after the initial stimulus. This is particularly relevant in various cognitive tasks, such as implicit memory tests, where the effects of prior exposure can manifest without conscious awareness.

The other options refer to different cognitive concepts. The recency effect relates to the tendency to better remember the most recently presented information. Proactive interference refers to the difficulty in learning new information due to the interference from previously learned information. Mood-congruent memory describes the phenomenon where people are more likely to recall memories that are consistent with their current mood. Each of these concepts operates within the domain of cognition but does not describe the specific facilitative or inhibitory effects pertaining to recent experiences of