Abstract
An experiment was conducted to determine whether Ss leam, without knowledge of results or prior familiarization with the prototypes, to sort histoform stimuli generated by three probablistic rules into categories consistent with these mies. Seven Ss were asked to sort 30 stimuli (10 from each schema population) on each trial. No constraints were placed on the number of categories to be used. A statistic was developed to measure consistency between schema-defined categories and subjeet-defined categories. Four of the seven Ss met the leaming criterion, and demonstrated increasing consistency with the schema-defined categories across trials. In general, more categories than necessary were used to classify the stimuli correctly. The results raise several questions about classification strategies used by Ss in perceptual learning tasks with stimuli generated by probabilistic rules, and indicate the need for further research conceming the variables that influence perceptual category formation.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
ATTNEAVE, F. Transfer of experience with a class-schema to identification-learning of patterns and shapes. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1957, 54, 81–88.
BERSTED, C. T., BROWN, B. R., & EVANS, S. H. A Standard set of VARGUS 7 patterns at three levels of schematic redundancy. Psychonomie Monograph Supplements, 1968, 2(13, Whole No. 29), 251–282.
BROWN, B. R., & EVANS, S. H. A model for schematic concept formation: Further development and assessment. Paper presented at the Psychonomie Society, St. Louis, November 1968.
BROWN, B. R., & EVANS, S. H. Perceptual learning in pattern discrimi-nation task with two and three schema categories. Psychonomie Science, 1969, 15, 101–103.
BROWN, B. R., WALKER, D. W., & EVANS, S. H. Schematic concept formation as a function of constraint redundancy and knowledge of results. Psychonomie Science, 1968, 11, 75–76.
EVANS, S. H. A model for perceptual category formation. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Texas Christian University, 1964.
EVANS, S. H. A brief statement of schema theory. Psychonomie Science, 1967a, 8, 87–88.
EVANS, S. H. Redundancy as a variable in pattern perception. Psychological Bulletin, 1967b, 67, 104–113.
EVANS, S. H. VARGUS 7: Computed patterns from Markov processes. Behavioral Science, 1967c, 12, 323–328.
EVANS, S. H., & ARNOULT, M. D. Schematic concept formation: Demonstration in a tree sorting task. Psychonomie Science, 1967, 9, 221–222.
MILLER, G. A. The magical number, seven, plus or minus two: Some limits on our capacity for processing information. Psychological Review, 1956, 63, 81–97.
OLDFIELD, R. C. Memory mechanisms and the theory of schemata. British Journal of Psychology, 1954, 45, 14–23.
ROSSER, E. M. Categorization and discrimination of tone sequences. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Harvard University, 1967.
SHIPSTONE, E. I. Some variables affecting pattern conception. Psychological Monographs, 1960, 74(17, Whole No. 504).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This research was conducted by the Institute for the Study of Cognitive Systems and supported by a Department of Defense Project THEMIS contract, No. DAD005-C-0176, under the Department of the Army.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bersted, C.T., Brown, B.R. & Evans, S.H. Free sorting with stimuli clustered in a multidlmensional attribute space. Perception & Psychophysics 6, 409–413 (1969). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03212801
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03212801