Abstract
The time to select a superordinate label in response to a target word is shown to be a function of the normative likelihood of the target being produced as an exemplar of the superordinate. This extends the scope of semantic distance effects to a new task situation. The effect declines with practice (repetition) and is also reduced by other preceding tasks. Two alternative accounts of the processing underlying selection are discussed.
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This research was supported by S.S.R.C. Grant No. HR/1833 to the authors. The assistance of Barbara Simmons and Lynn Stanley with the collection and analysis of data is gratefully acknowledged.
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Sanford, A.J., Seymour, P.H.K. Semantic distance effects in naming superordinates. Memory & Cognition 2, 714–720 (1974). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03198146
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03198146