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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Creating Objects and Object Categories for Studying Perception and Perceptual Learning

Creating Objects and Object Categories for Studying Perception and Perceptual Learning

Published on: November 2, 2012

Category vs. Object Knowledge in Category-based Induction.

Gregory L Murphy¹, Brian H Ross

¹Department of Psychology, New York University.

Journal of Memory and Language

|June 8, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

People often use feature correlations, not category knowledge, for predictions. This inductive reasoning strategy is largely unreflective, impacting cognitive models.

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Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Inductive Reasoning
Concept Learning

Background:

Category-based induction involves predicting unknown properties of objects.
A key tension exists between using specific object features and general category knowledge for predictions.
Existing models often overlook the role of feature-feature relations in induction.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate whether people utilize feature-feature correlations within artificial categories for inductive reasoning.
To determine if this reliance on correlations is a reflective or unreflective strategy.
To highlight the implications of feature-feature relations for existing models of category-based induction.

Main Methods:

Seven experiments were conducted using artificial categories.
Participants made predictions about unknown properties of objects.
The study analyzed whether participants focused on correlated features within categories.

Main Results:

Participants heavily relied on feature-feature correlations for inductive predictions.
This reliance persisted even when correlations lacked external validity.
Evidence suggests the strategy is largely unreflective, not a deliberate choice.

Conclusions:

Feature-feature relations play a significant role in category-based induction.
Cognitive models of induction should incorporate the influence of these relations.
Inductive reasoning strategies may operate outside conscious, strategic control.