Question

If I listed a bunch of color words (red, yellow, orange, purple) and then told you to complete the word "g r e _ _," you are more likely to complete the word "green," whereas if you had previously seen the words "awesome, good, terrific," you would be more likely to complete the word as "great." What type of memory processing leads to this effect, and what part of the brain is most involved?

a. Conceptual priming; occipitotemporal cortex
b. Perceptual priming; left frontal cortex
c. Perceptual priming; occipitotemporal cortex
d. Conceptual priming; left frontal cortex

Answer 1

d. Conceptual priming; left frontal cortex

Conceptual priming leads to the effect described, and the left frontal cortex is most involved.

Step-by-step explanation:

The effect described in the question is an example of conceptual priming, which refers to the activation of relevant concepts in memory, influencing subsequent processing and behavior. In this case, the different lists of words primed different concepts, leading to different completion responses.

The part of the brain most involved in this effect is the left frontal cortex. Studies using brain scans have shown increased activation in the left inferior prefrontal cortex during tasks that involve semantic processing, which is consistent with the findings described in the question.