Characteristics of Long-Lasting Repetition Priming.

Facilitated performance in the identification of stimuli has been demonstrated due to prior exposure to the stimuli. Repetition priming can occur in the absence of explicit memory for the stimuli. Experiments explored the degree to which facilitation in visual object identification is due to perceptual or conceptual processing changes. Our results suggest that facilitation in picture naming is due to perceptual changes, that these changes are not in low-level sensory processing. Additional experiments explored the generality of priming within and across modalities. We found priming in auditory and tactile modalities and that priming transferred between vision and touch. We have also explored the limiting conditions for the occurrence of repetition priming. Are there situations in which exposure to stimuli does not induce priming Our results suggest that priming only occurs when stimuli are processed in the context of performing a task. Finally, we have tested the duration of repetition priming. We have found that a single exposure to pictures at study can lead to facilitated test performance nearly a year later. The combined results provide a repetition priming that is sensitive to the study task demands and that can influence performance long after the original exposure.