Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 6, 2026
14:38
Creating Objects and Object Categories for Studying Perception and Perceptual Learning
Published on: November 2, 2012
13.6K
Induction and category coherence
1Beckman Institute, University of Illinois, 405 N. Mathews, 61801, Urbana, IL, mlassali@psych.uiuc.edu.
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
|November 12, 2013
Summary
People typically sort items by single features, not by family resemblance. However, answering questions about how features relate (inductive inferences) before sorting encourages family resemblance category formation.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Category Formation Research
Background:
- Natural categories are widely believed to be organized by family resemblance.
- However, empirical studies show individuals often use single dimensions for category formation, creating a discrepancy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if promoting inductive inferences leads to the construction of family resemblance categories.
- To investigate the role of interproperty relationships in category formation.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments were conducted involving a sorting task.
- Participants answered either induction questions (highlighting interproperty relationships) or frequency questions (focusing on individual properties) prior to sorting.
Main Results:
- Participants who answered induction questions were significantly more likely to form family resemblance categories.
- Participants who answered frequency questions did not show an increased tendency to form family resemblance categories.
Conclusions:
- Making interproperty relationships salient through inductive reasoning prompts the use of family resemblance in category formation.
- This suggests that cognitive processes supporting inductive inference are key to constructing naturalistic categories.
More Related Videos
05:35Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization
Published on: April 19, 2017
6.1K
07:31Defining the Role Of Language in Infants' Object Categorization with Eye-tracking Paradigms
Published on: February 8, 2019
6.2K
Related Concept Videos
00:59Inductive Reasoning
59.0K
Inductive reasoning is a form of logical thinking that uses related observations to arrive at a general conclusion. It is uncertain and operates in degrees to which the conclusions are credible. As such, inductive arguments can be weak or strong, rather than valid or invalid, and conclusions can be used to formulate testable, falsifiable hypotheses.
Inductive reasoning is common in descriptive science. A life scientist makes observations and records them. This data can be qualitative or...
Inductive reasoning is common in descriptive science. A life scientist makes observations and records them. This data can be qualitative or...
59.0K
01:16Induction
4.9K
An emf is induced when the magnetic field in a coil is changed by pushing a bar magnet into or out of the coil. emfs of opposite signs are produced by motion in opposite directions, and the directions of emfs are also reversed by reversing poles. The same results are produced if the coil is moved rather than the magnet—it is the relative motion that is important. The faster the motion, the greater the emf. Additionally, there is no emf when the magnet is stationary relative to the coil.
4.9K
01:16Deductive Reasoning
59.5K
Deductive reasoning, or deduction, is the type of logic used in hypothesis-based science. In deductive reasoning, the pattern of thinking moves in the opposite direction as compared to inductive reasoning, which means that it uses a general principle or law to predict specific results. From those general principles, a scientist can deduce and predict the specific results that would be valid as long as the general principles are valid.
For example, a researcher can deduce specific predictions...
For example, a researcher can deduce specific predictions...
59.5K
01:28Criteria for Causality: Bradford Hill Criteria - II
1.7K
The Bradford Hill criteria serve as guidelines for establishing causative links in epidemiological research. Beyond Strength, Consistency, Specificity, and Temporality, key criteria also include Biological Gradient, Plausibility, Coherence, Experiment, and Analogy. These principles assist scientists in assessing the likelihood of causation in complex biological contexts. Below is a summary of these concepts:
1.7K
01:30Criteria for Causality: Bradford Hill Criteria - I
1.7K
The Bradford Hill criteria are a group of principles that provide a framework to determine a causal relationship between a specific factor and a disease. There are nine criteria that are pivotal in assessing causality in epidemiological studies. Here's a closer look at Strength, Consistency, Specificity, and Temporality criteria with definitions and examples:
1.7K
01:27Inductive Effects on Chemical Shift: Overview
2.3K
The protons in unsubstituted alkanes are strongly shielded with chemical shifts below 1.8 ppm. Methine, methylene, and methyl protons appear at approximately 1.7, 1.2 and 0.7 ppm, while the proton signal from methane appears at 0.23 ppm. An electronegative substituent, such as chlorine, withdraws the electron density from the protons, increasing their chemical shift. Progressive substitution of the hydrogens in methane by chlorine shifts the proton signals increasingly downfield, to 3.05 ppm in...
2.3K