Semantic Satiation and Lexical Ambiguity

Resolution

Mike BravermanPsyc 525

Semantic Satiation

bear bear bear

Semantic Satiation

Purpose?Mechanism for inhibiting useless knowledgeBackground noise

How? Neural fatigue

Semantic Satiation

Why?What is it about the way we represent

knowledge…To understand, need to know about

Semantic networks and activationInteractive models (i.e., Cottrell, 1988)

Semantic Networks

Semantic Networks - Priming

Semantic Networks, Priming, and Semantic Satiation

Semantic networks – interactive models

Cottrell (1988)Semantic representation for each meaning of an

ambiguous word Inhibitory connections between meanings

Competing hypothesesGathering evidence via context

Deck – floor of ship, Deck – cardsPriming one meaning inhibits processing of another

(Balota & Duchek, 1991; Simpson & Kellas, 1989).

Semantic Satiation and Lexical Ambiguity

HomographsYay!

How does satiation relate to lexical ambiguity resolution?Would satiating one meaning of a homograph

(organ) affect the ease of processing of another meaning?

Experiment 1: DesignThree words presented: the prime, by itself, then the

homograph and the target word togetherTask – make a relatedness judgment for the

homograph-target pairConcordant, discordant, and neutral priming conditionsPriming a helpful (concordant) meaning should

decrease RT, and a misleading (discordant) meaning increase RT But these effects should be attenuated by prime

repetition

Experiment 1: Design

Experiment 1: Predictions

1 some many

RT on relatedness judgments (ORGAN – KIDNEY) as function of priming

DiscordantConcordantNeutral

Number of prime word presentations

RT

Results: Experiment 1

Results: Experiment 1

Discussion: Experiment 1Priming

YesBut why no satiation? Author says…

Task different, more complex?Addition of misleading condition led to strategizing,

more deliberative and slower responsesPIANOAre these words related? ORGAN – KIDNEYN.

WRONG!

Experiment 2: DesignWanted to eliminate strategizingEncouraged to respond quickly

Positive feedback really worksRT below 1,501 ms is…

Terrific!RT 1,501 – 2,000 ms is…

Good!RT above 2,999 ms is…

TOO SLOW!

No more discordant condition

Results: Experiment 2

Results: Experiment 2

What have we learned?Lexical ambiguity resolution

Priming is one way that context is usedPriming repeated too often can be less effective

(but not a lot less, and only sometimes?)Strategic processes may mask semantic satiation

effects