Is there something quantum-like about the human mental lexicon?
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Updated: Jun 15, 2026

Interaction between Phonological and Semantic Processes in Visual Word Recognition using Electrophysiology
Published on: June 29, 2021
Peter Bruza1, Kirsty Kitto, Douglas Nelson
1Faculty of Science and Technology, Queensland University of Technology.
Abstract:
Following an early claim by Nelson & McEvoy (35) suggesting that word associations can display 'spooky action at a distance behaviour', a serious investigation of the potentially quantum nature of such associations is currently underway. In this paper quantum theory is proposed as a framework suitable for modelling the human mental lexicon, specifically the results obtained from both intralist and extralist word association experiments. Some initial models exploring this hypothesis are discussed, and experiments capable of testing these models proposed.
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