Classification behavior and measures of intelligence: dimensional identity versus overall similarity. Academic Article

abstract

• Individuals tend to adopt either analytic or holistic modes of categorizing objects. In two studies, we examined the relation between these categorization tendencies and cognitive abilities as measured by standard psychometric instruments. The participants in both studies were pretested with a restricted classification task in which it was possible for them to classify simple stimuli by dimensional identity or overall similarity. Those making a large number of either type of categorization were then tested with subtests of the WAIS-R and with the Raven's progressive matrices. Across both studies, the analytic individuals (many dimensional identity classifications) scored higher than the holistic individuals (many overall similarity classifications) on some but not all of the subtests. The results are consistent with the idea that holistic modes of categorization may be more "primitive" than analytic modes. The findings are discussed in terms of the association between categorization mode and either general or specific cognitive abilities.

authors

• Stagner, Brian

published proceedings

• Percept Psychophys

author list (cited authors)

• Ward, T. B., Stagner, B. H., Scott, J. G., Marcus-Mendoza, S. T., & Turner, D.

citation count

• 5

complete list of authors

• Ward, TB||Stagner, BH||Scott, JG||Marcus-Mendoza, ST||Turner, D

publication date

• January 1989

publisher

• Springer Nature  Publisher

published in

• Attention, Perception and Psychophysics  Journal

keywords

• Adult
• Attention
• Discrimination Learning
• Form Perception
• Humans
• Individuality
• Orientation
• Pattern Recognition, Visual
• Wechsler Scales

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.3758/bf03208035

start page

• 71

end page

• 76

volume

• 45

issue

• 1

URL

• http://dx.doi.org/10.3758/bf03208035