Varying categorization and relevant knowledge in card-classification

Abstract

This sudy examined how categorization varies with relevant knowledge. Subjects were undergraduates, and they were asked to sort a set of pictures or photographs based on whatever features they liked. In Experiment 1, three groups of subjects (15 eacsorting 31 cards portraying fictitious animals were explained about each card nothing (Group 1). apparent physical features of each animal (Group 2). or physical as well as ecological features (Group 3). Results showed that: (1) in Groups 1 and 2 most frequently used features were physical features, while in Group 3 they were ecological features, (2) the structure of category system were either predominantly single-criterion type or multiple-criteria type, and the distribution of types differed among groups. In Experiment 2, three groups of subjects (14 each) sorting 36 photographs of leaves were explained in advance nothing (Group 1), a botanical principle of classification (Group 2), or its evolutionary basis (Group 3). Results revealed that relevant features and category structures differed among groups. These findings suggest that categorization behavior varies with the qualitative and/or quantitative nature of relevant knowledge. © 1995, The Japanese Psychological Association. All rights reserved.