468 Semantic Memory and Priming
relatively little attention from experimental psycholo-
gists (but see A. S. Meyer, Sleiderink, & Levelt, 1998;
Tannenhaus, Spivey-Knowlton, Eberhard, & Sedivy, 1995;
Zelinsky & Murphy, 2000).
Semantic priming continues to be actively investigated
more than 30 years after its discovery by D. E. Meyer and
Schvaneveldt (1971). In our opinion, the most important new
finding in the past decade is semantic priming over very long
lags (e.g., S. Becker et al., 1997; Joordens & Becker, 1997).
There are reasons to question the reliability of long-term
semantic priming, but if these doubts can be put to rest with in-
dependent replications, long-term semantic priming will ef-
fectively rule out all existing models of semantic priming with
the exception of distributed network learning models. Several
other topics are in need of additional empirical or theoretical
work, including (a) the variables that control semantic match-
ing, (b) semantic priming for different types of semantic rela-
tions, (c) backward priming, and (d) augmenting models of
priming with attentional processes that would allow the mod-
els to account for prime-task and global context effects.
The evolution of the concept of implicit memory has been
one of the most important developments in the cognitive sci-
ences in the past 20 years. Research on implicit memory in
general, and repetition priming in particular, continues un-
abated. We believe that the most important goal for future re-
search is to understand the mechanisms underlying repetition
priming. Past research on implicit memory has been domi-
nated by empirical issues or broad theoretical themes rather
than by attempts to understand the mental representations
and processes involved in repetition priming. A huge litera-
ture has now been amassed on various kinds of priming
effects; now researchers need to attempt to divine the mecha-
nisms responsible for these effects. An essential component
of this endeavor will be the development of models of the
sensory, perceptual, and cognitive processes responsible for
repetition priming. In our opinion, the recent development of
such models (e.g., Ratcliff & McKoon, 1997) represents a
major step forward and is an extremely important direction
for future research on implicit memory.
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