Technology that enables writing in a PDP to be conducted effectively, even when a time period of the writing is shortened. In a PDP driven by a method in which a write discharge is selectively generated in a plurality of cells by applying a scan pulse sequentially to a plurality of first electrodes and a data pulse selectively to a plurality of third electrodes in a write period, the technology provides for a write auxiliary discharge to be generated at least in a cell selected for writing or in a vicinity of the selected cell when the scan pulse is applied in the write period, the write auxiliary discharge being smaller in magnitude than the write discharge. The write auxiliary discharge results in the generation of priming particles in or in a vicinity of the selected cell, and these priming particles facilitate the generation of a write discharge in the selected cell. Consequently, the occurrence of defective writing is reduced and effective writing can be conducted, even when a width of the scan pulse is shortened.