Lexical relation processes and reaction times in Spanish-speaking older adults

Abstract This study analyzes the routes of lexical relations in Spanish-speaking older adults, using a free word association task that focuses on differences in reaction times according to the type of lexical relation and the influence of the semantic category of stimulus words. Older adults performed a free word association task by responding orally with one word to a one-word stimulus classified according to a semantic coherence criterion. Response words were classified by type of lexical relation: paradigmatic or syntagmatic. Reaction time was measured as the time elapsed before producing a response word. Older adults produced more paradigmatic than syntagmatic responses, and paradigmatic responses showed longer reaction times than syntagmatic responses. Mixed-effects analysis revealed that the semantic categories of stimuli influence the type of lexical relation, and that reaction times are influenced by these semantic categories and by the type of lexical relation. Reaction times and lexical relation types were not influenced by either age or years of education. We identify differentiated grammatical and semantic processing of the mental lexicon.