Knowledge Representations Derived From Semantic Fluency Data

The semantic fluency task is commonly used as a measure of one's ability to retrieve semantic concepts. While performance is typically scored by counting the total number of responses, the ordering of responses can be used to estimate how individuals or groups organize semantic concepts within a category. I provide an overview of this methodology, using Alzheimer's disease as a case study for how the approach can help advance theoretical questions about the nature of semantic representation. However, many open questions surrounding the validity and reliability of this approach remain unresolved.

Automated summary

The semantic fluency task is commonly used to measure one's ability to retrieve semantic concepts. The ordering of responses can provide insights into how individuals or groups organize semantic concepts within a category. However, there are still many unresolved questions surrounding the validity and reliability of this approach.