Conceptual
Representation and Lexical Representation in Semantic Memory and
Priming Effects
T. Inoue |
The
characteristics of the processes in conceptual representation and
lexical representation in semantic memory were investigated through
semantic priming effects and phonological priming effects in lexical
decision task. The SOA condition between the prime stimuli and the
target stimuli was varied in three experiments. The subjects were
16 undergraduate students in either Experiment I or II, and 20 in
Experiment III. Thirty three-letter-words (semantically related/phonologically
related/unrelated) or plus signs (neutral) were used as the prime,
followed by the target composed of 10 three-letter-words and 10 three-letter-nonwords.
At SOA 400 ms only semantic priming effects occurred, while at SOA
700 ms and 1000 ms both semantic and phonological priming effects
were obtained. These results suggest that it may take longer time
to spread activation in lexical representation than in conceptual
representation. The results also suggest that for the completion
of the identification of a word in word recognition it may be necessary
that the semantic checking has finished by the access to the conceptual
representation of the word. Key words: priming effects, conceptual representation, lexical representation, spreading activation, semantic memory. |