Demonstrating semantic priming without using primes

Date
2008
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract

Whether priming can occur in the absence of prime identification is a long debated question. The standard priming paradigm used to explore the issue has been criticized on methodological grounds. The present study introduces a new paradigm, in which there is no prime per se, only targets. Both words in a pair were presented for every-increasing durations until one was identified. Experiments 1 through 6 demonstrated highly reliable priming when the words were presented with no delay between them and when a mask of from 33 ms to 500 ms intervened between them. However, the priming effect declined as the delay increased and was non-significant at a full second. Results from Experiment 7 showed no effect of the proportion of related words on the size of the priming effect. However, an analysis of errors indicated that partial identification may play a role in the priming effect with this paradigm.

Description
Degree
Master of Arts
Type
Thesis
Keywords
Linguistics, Cognitive therapy, Psychology, Language, literature and linguistics
Citation

Wang, Shu. "Demonstrating semantic priming without using primes." (2008) Master’s Thesis, Rice University. https://hdl.handle.net/1911/103614.

Has part(s)
Forms part of
Published Version
Rights
Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.
Link to license
Citable link to this page