In an experiment, researchers found that when given the word pair ocean-moon, followed by the word detergent, participants typically said the word tide. When asked to explain their word choice, participants were unaware that the word pair had influenced their responses. This supports the concept of

subliminal perception

Explanation:

Based on the information provided within the question it can be said that this mostly supports the concept known as subliminal perception. This term refers to any and all information that is received from one of your 5 senses that you are not aware of when it happens. Which is is how the individuals associated the word tide with the previous pair mentioned.

elastic potential energy