With lower semantic distance levels, information becomes more generic and easier to store. Higher semantic distance levels can relate to information that requires more specific details. Generic information is more easily verified than information that requires specific details (Reisberg, ch. 9).
The retrieval process, which is also seen on the online ZAPS sentence verification task, is similar to syllogism, a form of logical deduction. In syllogism, two concepts are given, one generic and one specific, followed by a conclusion. For example, "dogs have four legs" is a generic statement. It is then followed by "Baxter is a dog", a more specific statement. It is then concluded that "Baxter has four legs". Humans do not only recall facts, but they are able to put facts together in a logical