RT is longer for the comparison "a whale is a fish" than for "a whale is a bird." This reflects __________.
A)the semantic congruity effect
B)the Stroop effect
C)the imagery effect
D)the symbolic distance effect

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This reflects the semantic congruity effect, which is the idea that it takes longer to process information that is incongruent or inconsistent with our existing knowledge and beliefs. In this case, most people have existing knowledge that whales are mammals, not fish or birds, so it takes longer to process the incongruent statements.

RT Is Longer for the Comparison "A Whale Is a Fish