Factors that affect the rate of activation spread in the memory network

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine what factors affect the rate of activation spreading in memory networks. In the experiment, subjects learned a list of syllable pairs. Each critical stimulus item was paired with two alternative response items, which were different in the strength of association and/or the strength of trace of the response items. Which of the two alternatives subjects recalled first was affected only by the strength of the association. It was concluded that the strength of the link from the node affects the rate of spreading activation from the node, but the strength of the node does not.