[Picture naming and memory in children: phonological and semantic effects].

Background: [corrected] The relation between picture naming and the short and long term memories.

Aim: to verify the ability of picture naming based on phonological and semantic queues, relating it to memory.

Method: 80 pictures selected from a set of 400 (Cycowicz et al., 1997) were presented to 80 children with ages ranging from 3 to 6 years. Responses were classified in semantic and phonologic errors and number of correct answers.

Results: The effect of the articulatory complexity was significant and the effect of the semantic complexity was not significant.

Conclusion: Naming is the result of memory activation which is organized in categories, physical properties and function; phonologic effects do interfere in the activity of naming, whereas the semantic effects reflect that the long term memory is organized in categories which are dependant of the context and of the development.