Set size and repetition matter: comment on Caramazza and Costa (2000)

Abstract

Caramazza and Costa, 2000 (Cognition 75, B51--B64) report three picture-word interference experiments testing the response set mechanism of the WEAVER+ + model of spoken word production. They argue that their findings are problematic for WEAVER+ + and that the model's architecture needs to be changed. I show that there is no need to fundamentally modify the model. Instead, the findings of Caramazza and Costa, and all previous findings, are explained by assuming that only a limited number of responses can be kept in short-term memory and that memory improves with response repetition.