Fields, L., Reeve, K. F., Matneja, P., Varelas, A., Belanich, J., Fitzer, A., & Shamoun, K. (2002).
The formation of a generalized categorization repertoire: Effect of training with multiple domains, samples, and comparisons.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior,
78, 291-313.
The present experiment explored the effects of three variables on
the spontaneous categorization of stimuli in perceptually
distinct and novel domains. Each of six stimulus domains was
created by morphing two images that were the domain endpoints.
The endpoints of the domains were male and female faces, two
abstract drawings, a car and a truck, two banded- elevation
satellite land images, a tree and a cat, and two false- color
satellite images. The stimulus variants at each end of a domain
defined two potential perceptual classes. Training was conducted
in a matching-to-sample format and used stimuli from one or two
domains, one or three variants per class as samples, and one or
three variants per class as comparisons. The spontaneous
categorization of stimuli in the untrained stimulus domains
showed the emergence of a generalized categorization repertoire.
The proportion of spontaneously categorized stimuli in the new
domains was positively related to the number of domains and
samples used in training, and was inversely related to the number
of comparisons used in training. Differential reaction times
demonstrated the discriminability of the stimuli in the emergent
classes. This study is among the first to provide an empirical
basis for a behavior-analytic model of the development of
generalized categorization repertoires in natural settings.
Key words: perceptual classes, spontaneous categorization,
matching to sample, selection-based responding, college students