Abstract
In the present study, we examine what types of feature correlations are salient in our conceptual representations. It was hypothesized that of all possible feature pairs, those that are explicitly recognized as correlated (i.e., explicit pairs) and affect typicality judgments are the ones that are more likely theory based than are those that are not explicitly recognized (i.e., implicit pairs). Real-world categories and their properties, taken from Malt and Smith (1984), were examined. We found that explicit pairs had a greater number of asymmetric dependency relations (i.e., one feature depends on the other feature, but not vice versa) and stronger dependency relations than did implicit pairs, which were statistically correlated in the environment but were not recognized as such. In addition, people more often provided specific relation labels for explicit pairs than for implicit pairs; these labels were most often causal relations. Finally, typicality judgments were more affected when explicit correlations were broken than when implicit correlations were broken. It is concluded that in natural categories, feature correlations that are explicitly represented and affect typicality judgments are the ones about which people have theories.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ahn, W., &Dennis, M. (2001). Dissociation between categorization and similarity judgment. In M. Ramscar & U. Hahn (Eds.),Similarity and categorization (pp. 87–107). New York:Cambridge University Press.
Ahn, W., Kim, N. S., Lassaline, M. E., &Dennis, M. J. (2000). Causal status as a determinant of feature centrality.Cognitive Psychology,41, 1–55.
Alloy, L. B., &Tabachnik, N. (1984). Assessment of covariation by humans and animals: The joint influence of prior expectations and current situational information.Psychological Review,91, 112–149.
Barrett, S. E., Abdi, H., Murphy, G. L., &Gallagher, J. M. (1993). Theory-based correlations and their role in childrens concepts.Child Development,64, 1595–1616.
Carey, S. (1985).Conceptual change in childhood. Cambridge, MA: Plenum.
Chapman, L. J., &Chapman, J. P. (1967). Genesis of popular but erroneous psychodiagnostic observations.Journal of Abnormal Psychology,72, 193–204.
Cohen, J., MacWhinney, B., Flatt, M., &Provost, J. (1993). PsyScope: An interactive graphic system for designing and controlling experiments in the psychology laboratory using Macintosh computers.Behavioral Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers,25, 257–271.
Gluck, M. A. (1991). Stimulus generalization and representation in adaptive network models of category learning.Psychological Science,2, 50–55.
Gluck, M. A., &Bower, G. H. (1988). Evaluating an adaptive network model of human learning.Journal of Memory & Language,27, 166–195.
Keil, F. C. (1981). Constraints on knowledge and cognitive development.Psychological Review,88, 197–227.
Keil, F. C. (1989).Concepts, kinds, and cognitive development. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Lassaline, M. E. (1996). Structural alignment in induction and similarity.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition,22, 754–770.
Malt, B. C., &Smith, E. E. (1984). Correlated properties in natural categories.Journal of Verbal Learning & Verbal Behavior,23, 250–269.
Medin, D. L. (1983). Structural principles in categorization. In T. J. Tighe & B. E. Shepp (Eds.),Perception, cognition, and development: Interactional analyses (pp. 203–230). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Medin, D. L., Altom, M. W., Edelson, S. M., &Freko, D. (1982). Correlated symptoms and simulated medical classification.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition,8, 37–50.
Medin, D. L., &Ortony, A. (1989). Psychological essentialism. In S. Vosniadou & A. Ortony (Eds.),Similarity and analogical reasoning (pp. 179–196). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Murphy, G. L. (2000). Explanatory concepts. In F. C. Keil & R. A. Wilson (Eds.),Explanation and cognition (pp. 361–392). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Murphy, G. L., &Medin, D. L. (1985). The role of theories in conceptual coherence.Psychological Review,92, 289–316.
Murphy, G. L., &Wisniewski, E. J. (1989). Feature correlations in conceptual representations. In G. Tiberghien (Ed.),Advances in cognitive science: Vol. 2. Theory and applications (pp. 23–45). Chichester, U.K.: Ellis Horwood.
Rosch, E. (1978). Principles of categorization. In E. Rosch & B. B. Lloyd (Eds.),Cognition and categorization (pp. 27–48). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Sloman, S., Love, B., &Ahn, W. (1998). Feature centrality and conceptual coherence.Cognitive Science,22, 189–228.
Thagard, P. (1989). Explanatory coherence.Behavioral & Brain Sciences,12, 435–502.
Wattenmaker, W. D. (1991). Learning modes, feature correlations, and memory-based categorization.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition,17, 908–923.
Wattenmaker, W. D. (1993). Incidental concept learning, feature frequency, and correlated properties.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition,19, 203–222.
Wellman, H. M. (1990).The childs theory of mind. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
This project was supported by National Institute of Mental Health Grant RO1 MH57737, awarded to the first author.
Accepted by previous editorial team.
Electronic supplementary material
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ahn, WK., Marsh, J.K., Luhmann, C.C. et al. Effect of theory-based feature correlations on typicality judgments. Mem Cogn 30, 107–118 (2002). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03195270
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03195270