Question

32. Choose either the Hierarchical model for semantic organization or the Spreading Activation Theory of semantic processing. For the model you choose: (a) Explain in writing what a diagram of that theory looks like, as presented in the book and notes; (b) Explain in writing the main ideas of the model; and (c) Give an example of a type of experiment that was used to support the model. (10 Points)

Answer 1

Let's answer this question based on the spreading activation theory of activation processing proposed by Quillian in the year 1962. According to this theory, human memory search was seen as activation spreading from 2 or more than 2 nodes which are conceptual in a semantic network until an intersection point was found.

a) Let's see how the diagrammatic representation of this theory looks like. Firstly the semantic network created is well organized in lines. Each line will have a semantic similarity. If 2 concepts in a line have more properties in common between them, then more links or interconnecting lines are found between the two concepts. Concepts imagined as nodes which are usually written boldly inside a circle. Diagrammatic representation is purely based on this semantic relatedness which is a combination of interconnection between 2 concepts. More the number of lines found between the nodes, stronger will be the memory search speed.

b) Main ideas of this model are as follows

- Whenever a concept is processed in our brain, activation is seen to spread out in a decreasing gradient along the network path.

- The strength of decreasing gradient is relatively inversely proportional to the strength of links of lines present in the path.

- When a process is constantly being processed for a longer time, a longer activation is seen to be released from the concept node at a fixed rate

c) Conrad in the year 1972 conducted a sentence verification experiment based on this principle. Conrad's experiment was to give a true or false response to her sentences. Sentences were created by selecting 3 organisms having some common properties but different hierarchies. The result of her study showed a very close association with Quillon's theory.