Abstract
BackgroundSemantic memory has generated much research. As such, the majority of investigations have focused on the English language, and much less on other languages, such as Hebrew. Furthermore, little research has been done on search processes within the semantic network, even though they are abundant within cognitive semantic phenomena.Methodology/Principal FindingsWe examine a unique dataset of free association norms to a set of target words and make use of correlation and network theory methodologies to investigate the global and local features of the Hebrew lexicon. The global features of the lexicon are investigated through the use of association correlations – correlations between target words, based on their association responses similarity; the local features of the lexicon are investigated through the use of association dependencies – the influence words have in the network on other words.Conclusions/SignificanceOur investigation uncovered Small-World Network features of the Hebrew lexicon, specifically a high clustering coefficient and a scale-free distribution, and provides means to examine how words group together into semantically related ‘free categories’. Our novel approach enables us to identify how words facilitate or inhibit the spread of activation within the network, and how these words influence each other. We discuss how these properties relate to classical research on spreading activation and suggest that these properties influence cognitive semantic search processes. A semantic search task, the Remote Association Test is discussed in light of our findings.
Highlights
Search processes, both conscious and unconscious, are abundant within the cognitive system, across all domains
To note just a few examples – whenever we need to apply various semantic memory tasks, we constantly invoke search processes within the mental lexicon [1]; whenever we try to retrieve a name of someone we know which is on ‘‘The tip of our tongue’’, we invoke a search within the phonological network [2]; and whenever we are confronted with a problem, we invoke a search process throughout the problem space [3]
While the empirical collection of association norms has long been established in the clinical sense from the 1970’s onwards, the scientific interest in association norms shifted to a dogma in which associations are viewed as a means to explore the structure of the mental lexicon
Summary
Both conscious and unconscious, are abundant within the cognitive system, across all domains. While the empirical collection of association norms has long been established in the clinical sense (for a review see [5]) from the 1970’s onwards, the scientific interest in association norms shifted to a dogma in which associations are viewed as a means to explore the structure of the mental lexicon. As this dogma evolved, different frameworks of the mental lexicon were developed, such as the prototype framework based on Rosch’s research Little research has been done on search processes within the semantic network, even though they are abundant within cognitive semantic phenomena
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