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Word‐frequency effects in long‐term semantic priming and false memory
Author(s) -
Sherman Susan M.,
Jordan Timothy R.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
british journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.536
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 2044-8295
pISSN - 0007-1269
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8295.2011.02017.x
Subject(s) - psychology , false memory , recall , priming (agriculture) , lexical decision task , word (group theory) , free recall , word lists by frequency , cognitive psychology , cognition , natural language processing , computer science , linguistics , neuroscience , botany , germination , philosophy , sentence , biology
Several studies have used the lexical decision task (LDT) with the Deese–Roediger–McDermott (DRM) false‐memory paradigm to investigate whether long‐term semantic priming (LTSP) occurs following presentation of lists of items (e.g., bed, dream, snore) for related non‐presented lure words (e.g., sleep). However, results have been mixed, with some studies observing priming, whilst others have not. The present study had four goals: (i) to investigate the existence of LTSP in the LDT; (ii) to investigate effects of LTSP on standard effects of word frequency on LDT performance; (iii) to investigate the effect, if any, of word frequency on true and false recall; and (iv) to compare LDT performance with performance on a subsequent free‐recall task. The findings showed (i) a significant effect of LTSP on LDT performance; (ii) no effect of LTSP on standard effects of word frequency on LDT performance; (iii) no effect of word frequency on either true or false free recall; and (iv) a significant relationship between LDT and free‐recall performance. Implications of these findings for understanding LTSP and false memories are discussed.