Working Memory Capacity Modulates the Dual Pathways of Semantic Interference and Facilitation in Speech Production
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21392263 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Yanhong Fang (0009-0003-4491-7849, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education Guangxi Normal University/Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Applied Psychology in Guangxi Universities Guilin China), Guanhai Yin (0009-0008-9311-3800, College of Education Jinggangshan University Jian Jiangxi China, corresponding author), Jijia Zhang (Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education Guangxi Normal University/Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Applied Psychology in Guangxi Universities Guilin China), J B Zhang (0009-0000-9159-0322, Guangxi Normal University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-06 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Scandinavian Journal of Psychology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0036-5564 • E-ISSN: 1467-9450 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/sjop.70121 |
| PMID | 42250243 |
| OpenAlex | W7163745738 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 45 |
The nature and strength of semantic effects in speech production, often studied using the picture‐word interference (PWI) paradigm, are known to be influenced by object‐level variables such as the type of semantic relationship. However, the role of subject‐level cognitive factors, particularly working memory capacity (WMC), remains largely unexplored. This study investigated how WMC modulates semantic interference from category‐related distractors and facilitation from associative‐related distractors. Participants pre‐screened into high ( n = 29) or low ( n = 29) WMC groups completed two PWI tasks (categorical and associative relations) in a single session. Naming latencies were recorded as the primary measure. For categorical relations, a robust semantic interference effect was observed. Crucially, this interference was significantly stronger in low‐WMC individuals compared to high‐WMC individuals. Conversely, for associative relations, a semantic facilitation effect was found, which was markedly more pronounced in the high‐WMC group than in the low‐WMC group. These findings demonstrate that working memory capacity dynamically regulates the strength of semantic effects without altering their fundamental direction: attenuating interference and enhancing facilitation. This study bridges a critical theoretical gap by incorporating individual differences into the architecture of speech production, demonstrating that WMC is a key moderator shaping the dynamics of lexical access
Associative property · Categorical variable · Cognition · Dual (grammatical number) · Facilitation · Interference (communication) · Semantic memory · Speech production · Working memory · Language Development and Disorders · Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism · Phonetics and Phonology Research
A controlled-attention view of working-memory capacity.
The variable nature of cognitive control
A spreading-activation theory of lemma retrieval in speaking
An automated version of the operation span task
Working memory and language comprehension
A theory of lexical access in speech production
Working Memory, Comprehension, and Aging
A spreading-activation theory of retrieval in sentence production.
Working memory and second language comprehension and production
The role of prefrontal cortex in working-memory capacity, executive attention, and general fluid intelligence
The episodic buffer
Top-down modulation
A capacity theory of comprehension
Role of working memory in explaining the performance of individuals with specific reading comprehension difficulties
Use of the Extreme Groups Approach
Working Memory Capacity as Executive Attention
The influence of stimulus onset asynchrony on semantic effect in spoken word production
Roles of Semantic Similarity and Category Size on Semantic Effect in Picture-Word Interference Paradigm
The language-as-fixed-effect fallacy
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |