Category use and category learning.

Full Abstract

Categorization models based on laboratory research focus on a narrower range of explanatory constructs than appears necessary for explaining the structure of natural categories. This mismatch is caused by the reliance on classification as the basis of laboratory studies. Category representations are formed in the process of interacting with category members. Thus, laboratory studies must explore a range of category uses. The authors review the effects of a variety of category uses on category learning. First, there is an extensive discussion contrasting classification with a predictive inference task that is formally equivalent to classification but leads to a very different pattern of learning. Then, research on the effects of problem solving, communication, and combining inference and classification is reviewed.

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Author information

Author/s: Markman, Arthur B (AB); Ross, Brian H (BH);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, 78712, USA. markman(-atsign-)psy.utexas.edu

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.; Review

Journal: Psychological bulletin (Psychol Bull), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2003-Jul; vol 129 (issue 4) : pp 592-613

Dates: Created 2003/07/09; Completed 2003/10/29; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 12848222, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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