Individual differences in associative/semantic priming: Spreading of activation in semantic memory and epistemically unwarranted beliefs.

Starting from the enhanced spreading of activation through semantic memory (one of the explanatory mechanisms attempting to explain some manifestations observed in schizophrenia) and the psychosis continuum (a dimensional approach to psychotic disorders, where 'normality' and 'psychop...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Daniel Huete-Pérez, Robert Davies, Javier Rodríguez-Ferreiro, Pilar Ferré
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0313239
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849228192196329472
author Daniel Huete-Pérez
Robert Davies
Javier Rodríguez-Ferreiro
Pilar Ferré
author_facet Daniel Huete-Pérez
Robert Davies
Javier Rodríguez-Ferreiro
Pilar Ferré
author_sort Daniel Huete-Pérez
collection DOAJ
description Starting from the enhanced spreading of activation through semantic memory (one of the explanatory mechanisms attempting to explain some manifestations observed in schizophrenia) and the psychosis continuum (a dimensional approach to psychotic disorders, where 'normality' and 'psychopathology' are not qualitatively different in nature but placed on varying levels of the same continuum), the main aim of the present research was to explore whether there are individual differences in associative/semantic priming in people with different levels of epistemically unwarranted beliefs (EUB). Participants varying in paranormal, pseudoscientific and conspiracy endorsement completed a primed lexical decision task containing related prime-target words (e.g., bulb-light) and unrelated prime-target words (e.g., sock-light). Bayesian linear mixed-effects models over response times (RTs) revealed a main direct priming effect (faster RTs in related pairs than in unrelated ones), a main facilitatory effect for some EUB scores (i.e., the higher the value for EUB score, the faster RTs), and an interactive effect between the experimental manipulation and some EUB scores (the higher the EUB score, the smaller the direct priming effect). These results are consistent with predictions made from the enhanced spreading of activation explanatory mechanism, but other alternative accounts are also discussed.
format Article
id doaj-art-e9d79d8a6bb9416692c7aa9ef257d0dc
institution Kabale University
issn 1932-6203
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS ONE
spelling doaj-art-e9d79d8a6bb9416692c7aa9ef257d0dc2025-08-23T05:32:16ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032025-01-01202e031323910.1371/journal.pone.0313239Individual differences in associative/semantic priming: Spreading of activation in semantic memory and epistemically unwarranted beliefs.Daniel Huete-PérezRobert DaviesJavier Rodríguez-FerreiroPilar FerréStarting from the enhanced spreading of activation through semantic memory (one of the explanatory mechanisms attempting to explain some manifestations observed in schizophrenia) and the psychosis continuum (a dimensional approach to psychotic disorders, where 'normality' and 'psychopathology' are not qualitatively different in nature but placed on varying levels of the same continuum), the main aim of the present research was to explore whether there are individual differences in associative/semantic priming in people with different levels of epistemically unwarranted beliefs (EUB). Participants varying in paranormal, pseudoscientific and conspiracy endorsement completed a primed lexical decision task containing related prime-target words (e.g., bulb-light) and unrelated prime-target words (e.g., sock-light). Bayesian linear mixed-effects models over response times (RTs) revealed a main direct priming effect (faster RTs in related pairs than in unrelated ones), a main facilitatory effect for some EUB scores (i.e., the higher the value for EUB score, the faster RTs), and an interactive effect between the experimental manipulation and some EUB scores (the higher the EUB score, the smaller the direct priming effect). These results are consistent with predictions made from the enhanced spreading of activation explanatory mechanism, but other alternative accounts are also discussed.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0313239
spellingShingle Daniel Huete-Pérez
Robert Davies
Javier Rodríguez-Ferreiro
Pilar Ferré
Individual differences in associative/semantic priming: Spreading of activation in semantic memory and epistemically unwarranted beliefs.
PLoS ONE
title Individual differences in associative/semantic priming: Spreading of activation in semantic memory and epistemically unwarranted beliefs.
title_full Individual differences in associative/semantic priming: Spreading of activation in semantic memory and epistemically unwarranted beliefs.
title_fullStr Individual differences in associative/semantic priming: Spreading of activation in semantic memory and epistemically unwarranted beliefs.
title_full_unstemmed Individual differences in associative/semantic priming: Spreading of activation in semantic memory and epistemically unwarranted beliefs.
title_short Individual differences in associative/semantic priming: Spreading of activation in semantic memory and epistemically unwarranted beliefs.
title_sort individual differences in associative semantic priming spreading of activation in semantic memory and epistemically unwarranted beliefs
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0313239
work_keys_str_mv AT danielhueteperez individualdifferencesinassociativesemanticprimingspreadingofactivationinsemanticmemoryandepistemicallyunwarrantedbeliefs
AT robertdavies individualdifferencesinassociativesemanticprimingspreadingofactivationinsemanticmemoryandepistemicallyunwarrantedbeliefs
AT javierrodriguezferreiro individualdifferencesinassociativesemanticprimingspreadingofactivationinsemanticmemoryandepistemicallyunwarrantedbeliefs
AT pilarferre individualdifferencesinassociativesemanticprimingspreadingofactivationinsemanticmemoryandepistemicallyunwarrantedbeliefs