A neurocognitive theory of attentional modulation of semantic spread of activation

The standard explanation of semantic priming involving automatic facilitatory processes and controlled facilitatory and inhibitory processes and their differential time-course has been challenged by findings of context effects at short stimulus onset asynchrony (e.g., Bodner & Masson, 2003; Smith, Besner & Miyoshi, 1994). In particular, the debate focuses on whether a single controlled-processing framework can account for semantic priming or whether an automatic processing component needs to be postulated. Although there are strong arguments in favour of automatic semantic processing (Neely & Kahan, 2001), the finding that attention modulates semantic priming in healthy participants, in the elderly and in neuropsychological patients (e.g., Davelaar, 2004; Giffard, et. al., 2001; Moritz, et. al., 2001) begs a closer look at cognitive theories of semantic priming.