Perceptual and conceptual word priming : a behavioural and exploratory electrophysiological study

• Main Author: Mah, Cheryl Jia Wei
• Other Authors: Annabel Chen Shen-Hsing
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2020
• Subjects: Social sciences::Psychology
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/141044
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The word fragment completion task (WCT) and word association task (WAT) are implicit memory tests that engage perceptual and conceptual processing respectively, and robust priming effects have been demonstrated in both tasks. The current study sought to investigate the priming effects in the two word priming tasks within an individual and the differences in the behavioural responses elicited during task performance. It was hypothesised that the priming effect in terms of increased accuracy of responses and decreased reaction time (RT) will be observed in both tasks. Furthermore, the magnitude of the priming effect was hypothesised to be greater in the WCT than the WAT. 40 young adults participated in a within-subjects study and performed both priming tasks. The results demonstrated the priming effect in both tasks and a greater priming effect was also observed in the WCT than the WAT. The within-subjects design provided a comparison between the WCT and WAT and suggested differences in the encoding processes related to the respective tasks. The study also included a preliminary exploratory visualisation study using event-related potentials (ERPs). The P170 and N400 potentials were expected to be generated by the WCT and WAT respectively. Seven participants performed the tasks with simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG) recording. Although the ERPs of interest were found in the two priming tasks, the findings are preliminary observations that need to be verified with a larger sample size.