Visual noise reveals category representations.
How are categories represented in human memory? Exemplar models assume that a category is represented by individual instances from that category that have been experienced. More generally, a category might be represented by multiple templates stored in memory. A new item is classified according to its similarity to these templates. Prototype models represent a category with a single summary abstraction (i.e., a single template), often the central tendency of the experienced items. A new item is classified according to its similarity to these category prototypes. Here, we show how a technique for correlating observers' responses with external noise can be used not only to distinguish single- from multiple-template representations, but also to induce the form of these templates. The technique is applied to two tasks requiring categorization of simple visual patterns; the results demonstrate that observers used multiple traces to represent their categories, and thus highlight the procedure's potential for use in more complex settings.
Gold
Jason M
JM
Department of Psychology, Indiana University, 1101 East 10th Street, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA. jgold@indiana.edu
Cohen
Andrew L
AL
Shiffrin
Richard
R
D006801:Humans; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009622:Noise; D014796:Visual Perception