Some people (like Jake) spend a lot of time thinking about one particular kind of item (like cars), and therefore demonstrate exquisite category-specific knowledge (he can identify virtually any car on the road and has a pretty good handle on the price and expected fuel economy for most). Thus, experience clearly influences semantic memory. Given that this is true, and given that we all have vastly different personal histories, does it make any sense to study how semantic memory is organized? Do you think semantic memory organization is idiosyncratic to each person and his/her history? Or, do you think it is possible to derive general principles because – despite some differences – there is still a great deal of similarity in the way general world knowledge is organized? How does the research that we have discussed influence your response?
Submitted by Matthew Schulkind
on Monday, 10/12/2009, at 11:22 PM