Semantic satiation

Semantic satiation is a psychological phenomenon in which repetition causes a word or phrase to temporarily lose meaning for the listener, who can only process the speech as repeated meaningless sounds. Leon Jakobovits James coined the term in his 1962 doctoral dissertation at McGill University.

Overview

Semantic satiation (also termed semantic saturation) is a psychological phenomenon where repetition of a word or phrase leads to a temporary loss of meaning, where the individual only perceives the speech as repeated meaningless sounds. This effect is fairly common and can be experienced by anyone. It is not associated with any particular psychological or neurological conditions.

History

The term "semantic satiation" was coined by Leon Jakobovits James while he was completing his doctoral dissertation at McGill University in 1962. However, the phenomenon itself has been recognized for much longer, with references to it appearing in literature and philosophy dating back to at least the 19th century.

Mechanism

The exact mechanism behind semantic satiation is not fully understood. However, it is believed to involve the process of semantic memory, which is the memory of meanings, understandings, and other concept-based knowledge. When a word or phrase is repeated many times in a short period, the brain may begin to perceive the repeated item as a pattern rather than a word with meaning. This can lead to the temporary loss of meaning known as semantic satiation.

Applications

Semantic satiation has been used in various fields such as linguistics, psychology, and advertising. In linguistics, it can be used to study the nature of word meaning and how it is processed in the brain. In psychology, it can be used to explore the mechanisms of semantic memory and pattern recognition. In advertising, understanding semantic satiation can help in creating effective advertisements that avoid overuse of key phrases, which could lead to loss of impact due to semantic satiation.

See also

• Semantic memory
• Speech repetition
• Stroop effect
• Jamais vu

References

Semantic satiation Resources
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