Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Objects, parts, and categories.

B Tversky, K Hemenway

    Journal of Experimental Psychology. General
    |June 1, 1984
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    The basic level of categorization, like "table" or "bird," is most informative because it highlights distinguishing parts. This part-based structure influences perception, behavior, and communication, creating a fundamental level of knowledge organization.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    Many Ways to Think.

    Journal of bioethical inquiry·2025
    Same author

    Eye fixations in prediction of recognition and recall.

    Memory & cognition·2013
    Same author

    Retraction of Hard, Lozano, and Tversky (2006).

    Journal of experimental psychology. General·2008
    Same author

    Perceiving, remembering, and communicating structure in events.

    Journal of experimental psychology. General·2001
    Same author

    Event structure in perception and conception.

    Psychological bulletin·2001
    Same author

    Biased retellings of events yield biased memories.

    Cognitive psychology·2000
    Same journal

    Executive function and social behavior: Causal evidence from loading working memory and inhibitory control.

    Journal of experimental psychology. General·2026
    Same journal

    Correction to "Your research is public engagement: A case for more intentional science communication in research with human subjects" by Vaughn (2026).

    Journal of experimental psychology. General·2026
    Same journal

    Correction to "Costs and benefits of acting extraverted: A randomized controlled trial" by Jacques-Hamilton et al. (2019).

    Journal of experimental psychology. General·2026
    Same journal

    Conveying (discrete) emotionality with novel words.

    Journal of experimental psychology. General·2026
    Same journal

    Physical actions shape moral choices: Environment-directed movements reduce cheating in young children.

    Journal of experimental psychology. General·2026
    Same journal

    From chunks to schemas: Learning in the Hebb repetition paradigm.

    Journal of experimental psychology. General·2026
    See all related articles

    Area of Science:

    • Cognitive Science
    • Psychology
    • Linguistics
    • Anthropology

    Background:

    • Concepts are organized hierarchically in taxonomies, with varying levels of inclusiveness.
    • The basic level (e.g., table, bird) is considered most informative for common objects and organisms.
    • Previous research in psychology, linguistics, and anthropology shows convergence on the basic level across various measures.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To present data demonstrating the qualitative difference of the basic level in object and living thing taxonomies.
    • To explain why diverse measures converge at the basic level of categorization.
    • To contrast knowledge organization by parts (partonomy) with organization by kinds (taxonomy).

    Main Methods:

    • Analysis of part terms proliferation at different taxonomic levels.

    Related Experiment Videos

  • Examination of attribute listings for category members.
  • Investigation of informant agreement on object parts and their perceived goodness.
  • Evaluation of perceptual salience and functional significance of parts.

    • Main Results:

    • Part terms are most abundant at the basic level, distinguishing categories.
    • Subordinate categories share parts but differ on other attributes.
    • Informants show agreement on object parts and their functional/perceptual significance.
    • Part configuration influences perception, behavior, and communication, explaining convergence at the basic level.

    Conclusions:

    • The basic level is qualitatively distinct due to its reliance on distinguishing parts.
    • Part configuration underlies perception, behavior, and communication, converging at the basic level.
    • Partonomy offers a complementary knowledge organization system to taxonomy, particularly for function and structure.