Commonalities and differences in semantic decisions about pictures and words

• Published in: Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior Vol. 19; no. 1; pp. 54 - 74
• Main Authors: Kim Guenther, R., Klatzky, Roberta L., Putnam, William
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Elsevier B.V 01.01.1980; Academic Press
• ISSN: 0022-5371; 0749-596X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0022-5371(80)90524-1

Three experiments investigated differences in semantic classifications of pictures and words. In Experiment 1, subjects indicated on each trial whether a given stimulus—picture or word—was or was not in a predesignated target category. Negative responses were slowed when the stimulus and target were semantically related, and this effect was greater for pictures. However, degrading pictures with a grid did not alter the effect, indicating that the picture/word difference was not due to perceptual processing. On each trial of Experiments 2 and 3, subjects indicated whether each of two successive stimuli was living or nonliving. The second response was speeded when the stimuli were related. However, this effect did not depend on the first stimulus' modality, contraindicating certain picture/word differences in activating semantic memory. The data suggested an alternative locus for picture/word classification differences: visual short-term memory.