word-stem completion

a procedure in which participants are presented with sets of introductory letters and asked to form complete words. For example, a person given the stem ele__ might respond with elevate or elephant. Numerous variations of this basic procedure exist, including ones in which only certain target words are considered correct and ones in which the complete words must fulfill certain additional criteria (e.g., be nouns, consist of five to seven letters in total) or must be provided from a previously studied list. Word-stem completion most commonly is used in cognitive research on perceptual priming and implicit memory. Also called stem-completion task. See also completion test.

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Psychology term of the day

July 27th 2024

vital functions

functions of the body (e.g., respiration, blood circulation of the blood) that are necessary to sustain life. Many vital functions are controlled by the brainstem.