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Sequence effects in categorization of simple perceptual stimuli.

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Stewart, Neil, 1974-, Brown, G. D. A. (Gordon D. A.) and Chater, Mick. (2002) Sequence effects in categorization of simple perceptual stimuli. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, Vol.28 (No.1). pp. 3-11. ISSN 0278-7393

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0278-7393.28.1.3

Abstract

Categorization research typically assumes that the cognitive system has access to a (more or less noisy) representation of the absolute magnitudes of the properties of stimuli and that this information is used in reaching a categorization decision. However, research on identification of simple perceptual stimuli suggests that people have very poor representations of absolute magnitude information and that judgments about absolute magnitude are strongly influenced by preceding material. The experiments presented here investigate such sequence effects in categorization tasks. Strong sequence effects were found. Classification of a borderline stimulus was more accurate when preceded by a distant member of the opposite category than by a distant member of the same category. It is argued that this category contrast effect cannot be accounted for by extant exemplar or decision-bound models of categorization. The effect suggests the use of relative magnitude information in categorization. A memory and contrast model illustrates how relative magnitude information may be used in categorization.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions:	Faculty of Science > Psychology
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Categorization (Psychology), Cognition -- Testing, Perception -- Testing, Decison making
Journal or Publication Title:	Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition
Publisher:	American Psychological Association
ISSN:	0278-7393
Date:	January 2002
Volume:	Vol.28
Number:	No.1
Page Range:	pp. 3-11
Identification Number:	10.1037/0278-7393.28.1.3
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Access rights to Published version:	Open Access
Funder:	Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Great Britain) (BBSRC), Leverhulme Trust (LT), University of Warwick, European Commission (EC)
Grant number:	#F/215/AY (LT), 88/S09589 (BBSRC), RTN-HPRN-CT-1999-00065 (EC)
URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/619