Participants are asked to judge whether a string of letters forms a word in English. The first string they receive is the word VIOLIN. On a subsequent list of words, results show that the participants are substantially faster at answering "Yes" to the word PIANO than to the word TOILET or BASKET. Which concept does this result most clearly illustrate
A)episodic memory
B)state-dependent learning
C)the spacing effect
D)spreading activation

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This result illustrates the concept of spreading activation, where the activation of one memory (or concept) in the brain leads to the easier retrieval or recognition of related memories or concepts. In this case, VIOLIN and PIANO are both musical instruments, so the activation of the concept of VIOLIN makes it easier and faster for participants to recognize PIANO as a word.

Participants Are Asked to Judge Whether a String of Letters