Spreading of activation versus integration Associative priming refers to the finding that words are processed faster when they are preceded by a related word compared to an unrelated word. Associative priming is a theoretically important phenomenon, because it provides insight into the way in which the meanings of words are accessed and integrated with a context.
Alternative models claim that priming effects are generated by an integrative mechanism.
The main difference between both mechanisms is that ASA takes place before a word has been recognized, whereas integration can only take place after a word has been recognized. Previous research demonstrates that ASA plays a role in evoking reaction-time priming effects. The goal of this project is to assess the relative contribution of ASA and integrative mechanisms on associative priming. The traditional method to address this question was the reaction-time method. This, however, has been proven to be difficult, because reaction-time reflects both ASA and integrative mechanisms.