The role of semantic and surface features in word repetition effects

• Published in: Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior Vol. 18; no. 5; pp. 617 - 627
• Main Authors: Slamecka, Norman J., Barlow, William
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Elsevier B.V 01.01.1979; Academic Press
• ISSN: 0022-5371; 0749-596X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0022-5371(79)90344-X

A series of three experiments investigated repetition effects with homographic responses. Each homograph was presented either once or twice, with a stimulus biasing one of its meanings each time. This biasing was shown to be effective. Recall was cued with each input stimulus separately. Equivalent repetition increments were obtained regardless of whether the input meanings were the same or different on the two occasions, so long as identical stimuli were not repeated. When meanings were different, retrieval cues operated independently; when meanings were the same, retrieval was dependent. It was concluded that the repetition increment was mediated solely by commonality of surface features, and that semantic features played no role in it at all.