Structure of Similarity

本研究的目的是发展和测试人类相似性处理的理论。相似性为许多概念学习、知识从一种情况转移到另一种情况以及泛化提供了基础。相反，相似也可能是人为错误的来源，例如，当相似的材料或设备之间发生混淆时。这项研究将开发一种新的方法来涵盖一系列人类相似性过程，从因果和功能相似性到感知相似性。这种方法与先前的方法不同，它强调相似性背后的心理过程。第一组研究将调查互联性，即特征之间的相互作用是否会使物体的某些方面在相似性判断中更加突出，甚至改变对其属性的心理解释。第二个问题是对齐对两个图形相似性判断的影响。这些研究将调查两个图形之间的表面相似性是如何随着物体表征成分的对应程度的容易程度而变化的。第三组研究将探讨相似性在建构归纳中的作用。这些研究基于这样的假设，即当人们判断相似性时，他们有时会将不相同的特征以一种只捕捉其抽象共性的方式排列起来。例如，两台发动机，一台缺少风扇皮带，另一台发电机坏了，可能会被判断为相似，因为它们都有功能失调的部件。这些研究结果将告诉我们相似性处理的范围和灵活性。下一组研究将讨论相似度计算的动态过程。在这些研究中，人们将被要求进行快速相似匹配或在不同时期查看相似对；这将允许比较快速和缓慢的相似性判断。如果快速判断与缓慢判断具有不同的动态，那么人类必须快速反应的界面和设备就必须相应地设计。最后一组研究将探讨相似性在其他认知过程中的作用。一些实验将检验相似性在基于类别的归纳中的作用。例如，当人们被告知关于某种实体的新事实（例如，老虎）时，他们通常会假设该事实适用于其他类似实体（例如，狮子）。本研究将探讨相似性是对称的还是定向的，以及相似性的哪些方面会影响进一步的推断。其他实验将研究从记忆中提取的过程是否会改变对项目的后续表征。如果存储在记忆中的项目在检索它们的过程中发生了变化，这就表明了渐进学习是如何发生的，以及某些基于相似性的扭曲是如何产生的。

The goal of this research is to develop and test theories of human similarity processing. Similarity provides the basis for much of concept learning, transfer of knowledge from one situation to another, and generalization. Conversely, similarity can also be a source of human error, for instance when confusions between similar-looking materials or devices occur. This research will develop a new approach to encompass a range of human similarity processes, from causal and functional similarities to perceptual similarities. This approach departs from prior approaches in emphasizing the psychological processes that underlie similarity. The first set of studies will investigate interconnectivity, i.e., whether interactions between features can make some aspects of objects more salient in similarity judgments or even change the psychological interpretation of their properties. The second issue is the effect of alignment in judgments of the similarity of two figures. These studies will investigate how the seeming similarity between two figures changes as a function of how easy it is to place components of object representation in correspondence. A third set of studies will investigate the effect of similarity in constructive induction. These studies are based on the hypothesis that when people judge similarity, they sometimes align non- identical features in a way which captures only their abstract commonalities. For example, two engines, one missing a fan belt and the other with a broken generator, may be judged similar because they have dysfunctional parts. These research results will inform us about the range and flexibility of similarity processing. The next set of studies will address the dynamic process of similarity computation. In these studies, people will be asked to perform rapid similarity matches or will view similarity pairs for varying periods; this will allow comparison of fast and slow similarity judgments. If fast judgments have dynamics different from slow, interfaces and devices to which humans must respond quickly will have to be designed accordingly. The final set of studies will investigate the role of similarity in other cognitive processes. Some experiments will examine the role of similarity in category-based induction. For example, when people are told a new fact about some entity, (e.g., a tiger) they typically assume that the fact applies to other similar entities, (e.g., a lion). This research will investigate whether the similarity is symmetrical or directional and what aspects of the similarity affect further inferences that can be made. Other experiments will investigate whether the process of retrieval from memory can change the subsequent representation of the items. If items stored in memory are changed by the process that retrieves them, it suggests how gradual learning can occur and how certain similarity-based distortions can come about.