ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the issue of semantic memory organization and how it provides not only the information we may need at the time but also other related information that is likely to be relevant. A salient characteristic of semantic memory is its organized and regular structure. Semantic priming occurs because concepts are not understood in isolation but in terms of how they relate to each other. In general, mediated priming does occur, as shown by using both response times and event-related potential recordings. Semantic memory is made up of very large numbers of associations among concepts. This interconnectivity can be thought of as a complex network of concepts and associations. Like episodic memory, inhibition can be used to help narrow a memory search to the appropriate part of semantic memory. The nature of semantic memory is complex because it captures our general knowledge about the world. A serious problem with both prototype and exemplar theories is an inherent circularity.
