Observational versus feedback training in rule-based and information-integration category learning.

Full Abstract

The effects of two different kinds of categorization training were investigated. In observational training, observers are presented with a category label and then shown an exemplar from that category. In feedback training, they are shown an exemplar, asked to assign it to a category, and then given feedback about the accuracy of their response. These two types of training were compared as observers learned two types of category structures--those in which optimal accuracy could be achieved via some explicit rule-based strategy, and those in which optimal accuracy required integrating information from separate perceptual dimensions at some predecisional stage. There was an overall advantage for feedback training over observational training, but most importantly, type of training interacted strongly with type of category structure. With rule-based structures, the effects of training type were small, but with information-integration structures, accuracy was substantially higher with feedback training, and people were less likely to use suboptimal rule-based strategies. The implications of these results for current theories of category learning are discussed.

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Author information

Author/s: Ashby, F Gregory (FG); Maddox, W Todd (WT); Bohil, Corey J (CJ);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara, 93106, USA. ashby(-atsign-)psych.ucsb.edu

Grants: R01 MH59196 (Agency:United States NIMH)

Journal and publication information

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

Journal: Memory & cognition (Mem Cognit), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Jul; vol 30 (issue 5) : pp 666-77

Dates: Created 2002/09/10; Completed 2002/10/16; Revised 2007/11/14;

PMID: 12219884, 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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