Abstract
Concept identification problems with a single relevant dimension may be solved in two stages: the selection of the relevant dimension and the learning of appropriate responses to the values of the dimension. Such a theory was investigated by manipulating the number of response categories (four, six, or eight) in a 3 by 3 design involving 90 human subjects. Errors were found to increase with increases in response categories during all stages of problem solution, with a linear increase for paired associate and complete learning conditions. The results were interpreted as supporting a theory incorporating overlapping dimension selection and paired associate processes.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Atkinson, R. C., & Shiffrin, R. M. Human memory: A proposed system and its control processes. In K. W. Spence & J. T. Spence (Eds.), The psychology of learning and motivation: Advances in theory and research (Vol. 2). New York: Academic Press, 1968.
Coltheart, V. Memory for stimuli and memory for hypotheses in concept identification. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1971,89, 102–108.
Dominowski, R. L. Role of memory in concept learning. Psychological Bulletin, 1965, 63, 271–280.
Overstreet, J. L., & Dunham, J. L. Effects of number of values and irrelevant dimensions on dimension selection and associative learning in a multiple concept problem. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1969, 79, 265–268.
Polson, P. G., & Dunham, J. L. A comparison of two types of theories of multiple-category concept identification. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 1971, 10, 618–624.
Thomson, W. J. Effect of number of response categories on dimension selection, paired-associate learning, and complete learning in a conjunctive concept identification task. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1972, 93, 95–99.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Thomson, W.J., Porterfield, A.L. The effect of number of response categories on unidimensional concept identification. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 15, 160–162 (1980). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03334496
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03334496