Concepts and transformational knowledge.

Abstract

The effect of exposure to principled change in concept formation was investigated in four experiments. In Experiment 1, participants were trained on either patterns that transformed systematically or control patterns that were distorted randomly. Training on transformational patterns produced concepts that were more resistant to false intrusions and decay. Experiment 2 separated the relative influences of transformational knowledge and pairwise similarity. Participants were able to identify the next pattern in a transformational sequence even though the foils were closer to the training patterns. Experiment 3 investigated whether participants use transformational information in a speeded categorization task. Participants were faster at classifying patterns that continued a transformational path than patterns that fell off the path, only if they had trained on the transformational patterns in a systematic order. Experiment 4 used multidimensional scaling to explore the psychological structure of transformational knowledge following training. Analyses revealed clear evidence of a transformational path with systematic training. Implications for theories of similarity and categorization are discussed. © 1999 Academic Press Objects in the natural environment evolve in form. Things change their shape and appearance as they grow. Weathering of the environment produces systematic changes in our landscapes. The seasons result in predictable sequential alterations in plant life. Not only is change a constant in our environment, change is often constrained in its magnitude and direction. In other words, change is often principled. The aim of this research is to explore the effect of exposure to this systematic change on categorization behavior. We believe that knowledge of how objects change is a largely overlooked but fundamental component of conceptual knowledge. Consider for a mo