Introduction Priming refers to the psychological phenomenon whereby a prior stimulus modulates cognitive processes and behavioural responses. To date, perceptual-cognitive mechanisms through which priming influences sporting performance remain underexplored. Olympic Bouldering provides a compelling and ecologically valid context for investigating psychological priming, as it involves perceptual-cognitive processes sensitive to priming while offering robust performance indicators and a controllable experimental environment. This study aimed to advance theoretical and empirical understanding of psychological priming by examining the impact of manipulated difficulty labels, assigned to boulders (short climbing routes) and serving as primes, on climbers` performance outcomes and their perceived difficulty judgments (targets). Methods Twenty-eight female climbers previewed and attempted four boulders that were equivalent in movement demands and difficulty, but presented with manipulated difficulty labels: B1 (labelled easier than actual difficulty), B2 (true difficulty), B3 (labelled harder than actual difficulty), and B4 (no difficulty label). Measures included climbing performance and perceived boulder difficulty. Results Among the boulders included in the priming manipulation (B1-B3), climbing performance (successful completion, number of attempts) was lowest in B3, labelled as most difficult (negative priming), and highest in B1, labelled as easiest (positive priming). Although all four boulders were of identical difficulty, participants perceived B3 as most difficult and B1 as easiest. Conclusion Findings indicate that priming through manipulated difficulty labels can influence athletes` climbing performance and perceived boulder difficulty. The study provides empirical evidence that exposure to prime stimuli can activate pre-existing internal representations, modulating both procedural and expectancy processes, and ultimately shaping sporting performance.
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