ABSTRACT
Words preceded by a semantically related word (e.g. cat-DOG) are recognized
faster than when preceded by a semantically unrelated word (e.g. hat-DOG)
(Meyer & Schvaneveldt, 1971). This deceptively simple phenomenon, which has
been termed the semantic priming effect, is one of the most important observations
in cognitive science, and has profoundly shaped our understanding of word
recognition processes, the nature of the semantic system, and the distinction
between automatic and controlled processes (for excellent reviews, see McNamara,
2005; Neely, 1991). Priming phenomena are too complex to be explained
by a single process, and various theoretical mechanisms, varying from automatic
(i.e. conscious awareness not required) to strategic (i.e. controlled and adaptively
modulated by task context), have been invoked to explain priming (Neely, 1991).
Priming mechanisms can also operate prospectively (i.e. before a target is presented)
or retrospectively (i.e. after a target is presented).
