Which memory process states that activation of one concept leads to activation spreading to related concepts?

• A. Primacy Effect
• B. Depth of Processing
• C. Spreading Activation
• D. Interference

Answer: (C)

Spreading activation is the idea that memory is a network of concepts linked to one another. When you activate one concept, the activation travels along those links to related concepts, making them more likely to be activated or recalled. The strength and speed of this spread depend on how closely connected or how strongly encoded the links are, so related ideas “light up” after the initial cue. This explains why a prompt like a related word or a perceived concept can rapidly trigger a cascade of related memories or associations.

Other processes don’t describe this networked activation. Primacy effect is about better recall for early items due to rehearsal or distinctiveness, not a mechanism that automatically spreads activation to related ideas. Depth of Processing refers to how meaning and deeper encoding improve memory, not how ideas spread activation between related concepts. Interference involves competition from other information hindering recall, rather than the automatic activation of connected concepts.