title: Categorization processes in mental comparisons.
abstract: Five experiments explore categorization and category-based congruity effects in mental comparisons. The first 4 experiments concentrate on categorization of infinite-set small items. The experiments vary the additional items presented and whether those items appear once (Experiments 1-2) or repeatedly (Experiments 3-4). Additional items include other small items (Experiment 1), relatively large items (Experiments 2-4), and items involving nonsize dimensions (Experiment 4). The critical small items show a complete congruity effect only in Experiments 1 and 3. Results suggest that categorization of infinite-set items may be based on range information alone (Experiment 1) but that multiple categorizations based on multiple ranges (Experiment 2) may require attentional effort. Results implicate categorization as a central process in mental comparison, despite differences in ease of categorization across paradigm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, 70504-3131, USA.
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Cech
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Shoben
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D003210:Concept Formation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological