scholarly journals The (un)reliability of item-level semantic priming effects

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Heyman ◽  
Anke Bruninx ◽  
Keith Hutchison ◽  
Gert Storms

Many researchers have tried to predict semantic priming effects using a myriad of variables (e.g., prime–target associative strength or co-occurrence frequency). The idea is that relatedness varies across prime–target pairs, which should be reflected in the size of the priming effect (e.g., cat should prime dog more than animal does). However, it is only insightful to predict item-level priming effects if they can be measured reliably. Thus, in the present study we examined the split-half and test–retest reliabilities of item-level priming effects under conditions that should discourage the use of strategies. The resulting priming effects proved extremely unreliable, and reanalyses of three published priming datasets revealed similar cases of low reliability. These results imply that previous attempts to predict semantic priming were unlikely to be successful. However, one study with an unusually large sample size yielded more favorable reliability estimates, suggesting that big data, in terms of items and participants, should be the future for semantic priming research.

Author(s):  
Demian Scherer ◽  
Dirk Wentura

Abstract. Recent theories assume a mutual facilitation in case of semantic overlap for concepts being activated simultaneously. We provide evidence for this claim using a semantic priming paradigm. To test for mutual facilitation of related concepts, a perceptual identification task was employed, presenting prime-target pairs briefly and masked, with an SOA of 0 ms (i.e., prime and target were presented concurrently, one above the other). Participants were instructed to identify the target. In Experiment 1, a cue defining the target was presented at stimulus onset, whereas in Experiment 2 the cue was not presented before the offset of stimuli. Accordingly, in Experiment 2, a post-cue task was merged with the perceptual identification task. We obtained significant semantic priming effects in both experiments. This result is compatible with the view that two concepts can both be activated in parallel and can mutually facilitate each other if they are related.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Jing Wang ◽  
Jie Wei ◽  
Long Li ◽  
Lijian Zhang

With the rapid development of evidence-based medicine, translational medicine, and pharmacoeconomics in China, as well as the country’s strong commitment to clinical research, the demand for physicians’ research continues to increase. In recent years, real-world studies are attracting more and more attention in the field of health care, as a method of post-marketing re-evaluation of drugs, RWS can better reflect the effects of drugs in real clinical settings. In the past, it was difficult to ensure data quality and efficiency of research implementation because of the large sample size required and the large amount of medical data involved. However, due to the large sample size required and the large amount of medical data involved, it is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but also prone to human error, making it difficult to ensure data quality and efficiency of research implementation. This paper analyzes and summarizes the existing application systems of big data analytics platforms, and concludes that big data research analytics platforms using natural language processing, machine learning and other artificial intelligence technologies can help RWS to quickly complete the collection, integration, processing, statistics and analysis of large amounts of medical data, and deeply mine the intrinsic value of the data, real-world research in new drug development, drug discovery, drug discovery, drug discovery, and drug discovery. It has a broad application prospect for multi-level and multi-angle needs such as economics, medical insurance cost control, indications/contraindications evaluation, and clinical guidance.


1998 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 531-560 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorothee J. Chwilla ◽  
Peter Hagoort ◽  
C.M. Brown

Koriat (1981) demonstrated that an association from the target to a preceding prime, in the absence of an association from the prime to the target, facilitates lexical decision and referred to this effect as “backward priming”. Backward priming is of relevance, because it can provide information about the mechanism underlying semantic priming effects. Following Neely (1991), we distinguish three mechanisms of priming: spreading activation, expectancy, and semantic matching/ integration. The goal was to determine which of these mechanisms causes backward priming, by assessing effects of backward priming on a language-relevant ERP component, the N400, and reaction time (RT). Based on previous work, we propose that the N400 priming effect reflects expectancy and semantic matching/ integration, but in contrast with RT does not reflect spreading activation. Experiment 1 shows a backward priming effect that is qualitatively similar for the N400 and RT in a lexical decision task. This effect was not modulated by an ISI manipulation. Experiment 2 clarifies that the N400 backward priming effect reflects genuine changes in N400 amplitude and cannot be ascribed to other factors. We will argue that these backward priming effects cannot be due to expectancy but are best accounted for in terms of semantic matching/integration.


2009 ◽  
Vol 364 (1536) ◽  
pp. 3633-3647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Arias-Trejo ◽  
Kim Plunkett

When and how do infants develop a semantic system of words that are related to each other? We investigated word–word associations in early lexical development using an adaptation of the inter-modal preferential looking task where word pairs (as opposed to single target words) were used to direct infants’ attention towards a target picture. Two words (prime and target) were presented in quick succession after which infants were presented with a picture pair (target and distracter). Prime–target word pairs were either semantically and associatively related or unrelated; the targets were either named or unnamed. Experiment 1 demonstrated a lexical–semantic priming effect for 21-month olds but not for 18-month olds: unrelated prime words interfered with linguistic target identification for 21-month olds. Follow-up experiments confirmed the interfering effects of unrelated prime words and identified the existence of repetition priming effects as young as 18 months of age. The results of these experiments indicate that infants have begun to develop semantic–associative links between lexical items as early as 21 months of age.


2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 589-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Candice Steffen Holderbaum ◽  
Jerusa Fumagalli de Salles

Differences in the semantic priming effect comparing child and adult performance have been found by some studies. However, these differences are not well established, mostly because of the variety of methods used by researchers around the world. One of the main issues concerns the absence of semantic priming effects on children at stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) smaller than 300ms. The aim of this study was to compare the semantic priming effect between third graders and college students at two different SOAs: 250ms and 500ms. Participants performed lexical decisions to targets which were preceded by semantic related or unrelated primes. Semantic priming effects were found at both SOAs in the third graders' group and in college students. Despite the fact that there was no difference between groups in the magnitude of semantic priming effects when SOA was 250ms, at the 500ms SOA their magnitude was bigger in children, corroborating previous studies. Hypotheses which could explain the presence of semantic priming effects in children's performance when SOA was 250ms are discussed, as well as hypotheses for the larger magnitude of semantic priming effects in children when SOA was 500ms.


1996 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 835-842 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hideki Ohira

Eyeblink activity was examined based on a discrete-trial paradigm in which 17 subjects engaged in a semantic priming task. They were presented a series of pairs of words (prime and target) associatively related or associatively unrelated and were required to name them as quickly as possible. Cognitive load or difficulty of naming of the target word was also manipulated. The latency data for naming of the target word showed a typical priming effect, namely, facilitation of naming speed by the associatively related prime word. The eyeblink rate changed synchronically to onset of stimuli as a function of prime-target relationship and cognitive load during the task. Specifically, the eyeblink rate was suppressed during presentation of the target word and peaked just after that. This study showed that suppression of eyeblinks was longer on trials with high cognitive loads than on those with low cognitive loads and the peak of eyeblink rate was higher on trials for which the prime and target were unrelated than on those for which they were related. These results suggested that the eyeblink activity is influenced by inner cognitive processes of word recognition.


2018 ◽  
Vol 50 (6) ◽  
pp. 2173-2183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Heyman ◽  
Anke Bruninx ◽  
Keith A. Hutchison ◽  
Gert Storms

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 342-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert M. Kaplan ◽  
David A. Chambers ◽  
Russell E. Glasgow

2002 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 1157-1173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane Pecher ◽  
René Zeelenberg ◽  
Jeroen G. W. Raaijmakers

Two experiments investigated the influence of automatic and strategic processes on associative priming effects in a perceptual identification task in which prime-target pairs are briefly presented and masked. In this paradigm, priming is defined as a higher percentage of correctly identified targets for related pairs than for unrelated pairs. In Experiment 1, priming was obtained for mediated word pairs. This mediated priming effect was affected neither by the presence of direct associations nor by the presentation time of the primes, indicating that automatic priming effects play a role in perceptual identification. Experiment 2 showed that the priming effect was not affected by the proportion (.90 vs..10) of related pairs if primes were presented briefly to prevent their identification. However, a large proportion effect was found when primes were presented for 1000 ms so that they were clearly visible. These results indicate that priming in a masked perceptual identification task is the result of automatic processes and is not affected by strategies. The present paradigm provides a valuable alternative to more commonly used tasks such as lexical decision.


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