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Related Experiment Videos

Typical versus atypical unpacking and superadditive probability judgment.

Steven Sloman1, Yuval Rottenstreich, Edward Wisniewski

  • 1Cognitive and Linguistic Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA. steven_sloman@brown.edu

Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition
|April 22, 2004
PubMed
Summary
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Unpacking event descriptions can decrease probability judgments, especially with atypical instances. This finding challenges support theory, suggesting category interpretation influences probability assessments.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Decision Science
  • Behavioral Economics

Background:

  • Support theory predicts unpacking increases probability judgments.
  • Category descriptions may be interpreted narrowly based on typical instances.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how unpacking event descriptions affects probability judgments.
  • To test predictions derived from category typicality against support theory.

Main Methods:

  • Participants provided probability judgments for packed vs. unpacked event descriptions.
  • The typicality of unpacked instances was systematically varied.

Main Results:

  • Unpacking typical instances showed no effect on probability judgments (additivity).

Related Experiment Videos

  • Unpacking atypical instances led to decreased probability judgments (superadditivity).

    • Conclusions:

    • Findings contradict support theory's general prediction of increased judged probabilities upon unpacking.
    • The typicality of instances significantly moderates the effect of unpacking on probability judgments.