Context and normative data for words: the semantic reduction effect

Abstract

This study presents semantic association norms for natural categories. Participants were instructed to produce the first response to sentence cues using a free association procedure. The free associations produced in two different contexts were contrasted to categories presented with no context. The following parameters were calculated: category set size, word associates, errors, omissions and idiosyncratic responses. A measurent index that indicates which category members are more likely remembered regardless of category condition was proposed. Results indicated a reduction effect on the semantic field. It was also demonstrated that some category members are more likely produced regardless of whether the category was experienced either with or without context. The category semantic field is reduced about fifty per cent when categories are presented within a sentence context.