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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 19, 2026

A Psychophysics Paradigm for the Collection and Analysis of Similarity Judgments

A Psychophysics Paradigm for the Collection and Analysis of Similarity Judgments

Published on: March 1, 2022

Thematic relations affect similarity via commonalities.

Sabrina Golonka¹, Zachary Estes

¹Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Conventry, United Kingdom. s.g.simmons@warwick.ac.uk

Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition

|October 28, 2009

Summary

Thematic relations enhance perceived similarity by increasing commonalities, not by reducing differences. This effect, termed non-inversion, was observed in participants who preferred thematic connections.

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Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Perception Science

Background:

Thematic relations, such as the connection between boats and oars, are known to increase perceived similarity.
The underlying mechanism by which thematic relations influence similarity perception remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate whether thematic relations enhance similarity by increasing perceived commonalities or decreasing perceived differences.
To explore the role of individual differences in the processing of thematic relations.

Main Methods:

Two experiments were conducted to assess the impact of thematic relations on similarity and difference ratings.
Participants' judgments of similarity and difference were analyzed in relation to thematic connections between objects.

Main Results:

Thematic relations primarily increased perceived commonalities, leading to a non-inversion of similarity and difference ratings.
Experiment 1 demonstrated that thematic relations had a greater impact on similarity than on difference.
Experiment 2 revealed significant individual variability in the reliance on thematic relations, affecting the observed non-inversion.

Conclusions:

Thematic relations influence perceived similarity by amplifying the contribution of shared features (commonalities).
The effect is not achieved by minimizing dissimilarities between objects.
A subset of individuals shows a stronger tendency to utilize thematic relations, leading to a pronounced non-inversion effect.