Semantic priming over unrelated trials: evidence for different effects in word and picture naming

Two naming experiments are reported that replicated previous findings of semantic interference as
a result of naming related word or picture primes three trials before picture targets. We also examined
whether semantic interference occurred when the materials were reversed and picture or word primes
were named before word targets. The interest in semantic interference during word naming followed a
suggestion made by Humphreys, Lloyd-Jones, and Fias (1995) that word naming, like picture naming,
may be reliant on a semantic route to name retrieval when the two stimuli are mixed. In contrast to
their findings, we found no evidence for semantic interference during target word naming; in fact, we
found facilitation from related picture primes. No priming was found for the related word prime and
word target condition. The data allow us to rule out the possibility that word naming is reliant on a semantic
route when mixed with pictures in this priming paradigm and to conclude that there is no clear
evidence of semantic activation during word naming. We also conclude, in line with other research,
that word naming and picture naming involve different processes.

Citation:
Vitkovitch, M., Cooper-Pye, E., Leadbetter, A.G. (2006) ‘Semantic priming over unrelated trials: Evidence for different effects in word and picture naming’ Memory & Cognition, 34 (3) pp.715-725.