Question

Collins and Loftus's spreading activation theory differs from the hierarchical network theory in that?

1) it dispenses with the idea of cognitive economy.
2) it relies on the assumption of hierarchical structure.
3) it cannot account for thetypicality effect.
4) it makes stronger predictions than hierarchical models.
5) it cannot account for the category size effect.

Answer 1

Collins and Loftus's spreading activation theory differs from the hierarchical network theory in that it rejects the fixed hierarchy of concepts and embraces a dynamic network of interconnected concepts, explaining the flexibility and variability in human memory recall and semantic processing.

Step-by-step explanation:

Collins and Loftus's spreading activation theory differs from the hierarchical network theory mainly because it dispenses with the idea of cognitive economy. The spreading activation model suggests that concepts in semantic memory are interconnected in such a way that activating one concept partially activates other related concepts, thus facilitating recall through multiple connections within the network. This model is more dynamic and accounts for the fluidity of memory recall, which can be influenced by various routes within the network. It does not rely on a fixed hierarchical structure but instead allows for connections between any related concepts, making it better at explaining phenomena like the typicality effect, where more typical members of a category are faster to be recalled than less typical ones. This contrasts with hierarchical network models which assume information is stored in a strict hierarchy, making it more difficult to account for such flexibility in human memory.