Speed of classification of words into superordinate categories

Abstract

The speed of classifying words into defined superordinate categories was examined. The classification test was chosen in order to differentiate between the effects of stimulus and response diversity upon the speed of information processing. Word lists were presented which differed with respect to the number of possible response categories, e.g., colors; and with respect to the number of available examples per category, e.g., red, green, or blue. Classification time was found to increase primarily with response diversity, i.e., with the number of possible response categories; and only secondarily with the number of available examples per category, i.e., stimulus diversity. The latter factor, however, becomes more important as the number of response categories is increased.