The Semantic Similarity Effect on Short-Term Memory: Null Effects of Affectively Defined Semantic Similarity

• DOI: 10.5334/joc.349
• Publication Date: 2024-02-12T12:32:06Z
• Authors: Sho Ishiguro; Satoru Saito
• Keywords: Similarity (geometry); Categorical variable; Associative property

Studies on short-term memory have repeatedly demonstrated the beneficial effect of semantic similarity. Although seems robust, aspects semantics targeted by these studies (e.g., categorical structure, associative relationship, or dimension meaning) should be clarified. A recent meta-regression study inspired Osgood's view, which highlights affective dimensions in semantics, introduced a novel index for quantifying similarity using values. Building results past studies' data with that index, this predicts is deleterious to if it manipulated dimensions, after controlling other confounding factors. This prediction was directly tested. The experimental immediate serial recall task (Study 1) and reconstruction order 2) indicated null effects thus falsified prediction. These suggest based negligible.