Abstract
Three factors, object, sensory modalities, and intention, among others which are thought to affect word retrieval are described. The first factor of object includes characteristics of an object and manners of presentation of an object. The former is subdivided into explicit characteristics and implicit characteristics. These factors are known to affect word retrieval in aphasics. The second factor of sensory modalities consists of the visual, tactile, auditory, olfactory and gustatory sensations. We usually depend on visual modality for word retrieval in daily life. Aphasics seldom show dissociation between sensory modalities on word retrieval. However, optic aphasia and tactile aphasia are well known modality specific naming deficits. The third factor of intention is voluntary evoked word findings. The dissociation of voluntary-evoked (word findings) and stimulus-evoked (naming) word retrieval is obvious among symptoms of the anmestic aphasia which Pitre reported in 1898. These three factors are not independent of each other and are processed simultaneously on word retrieval.
