Automaticity in rule-based and information-integration categorization.
Three experiments studied the effects of category structure on the development of categorization automaticity. In Experiment 1, participants were each trained for over 10,000 trials in a simple categorization task with one of three category structures. Results showed that after the first few sessions, there were no significant behavioral differences between participants who learned rule-based versus information-integration category structures. Experiment 2 showed that switching the locations of the response keys after automaticity had developed caused a similar highly significant interference, regardless of category structure. In Experiment 3, a simultaneous dual task that engaged executive functions did not interfere with either rule-based or information-integration categorization. These novel results are consistent with a theory assuming separate processing pathways for initial rule-based and information-integration category learning but a common processing pathway after the development of automaticity.
Hélie
Sébastien
S
Department of Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106-9660, USA. helie@psych.ucsb.edu
Waldschmidt
Jennifer G
JG
Ashby
F Gregory
FG
D001245:Association Learning; D032882:Comprehension; D003867:Depth Perception; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D005246:Feedback; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009949:Orientation; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D011214:Practice, Psychological; D011930:Reaction Time