Stimulus relatedness in equivalence classes, perceptual categories, and semantic memory networks

Abstract

ABSTRACTPerceptual categories, also called resemblance-based classes, contain stimuli that resemble each other. Other classes called equivalence classes contain stimuli that do not resemble each other. The membership of a stimulus in each type of class is defined by the generalization of responding trained by one stimulus to the other class members. Alternatively, class membership is defined by the selection of any member of the potential class in the presence of other class members. These performances indicate the interchangeability or equal relatedness of the stimuli in a class. In addition, the stimuli in a resemblance-based class can be rank ordered in terms of perceived similarity to a prototypical class member. Thus, the stimuli are differentially related to each other. In addition, this article will present post class formation steady state test results that document differential relatedness of the stimuli in an equivalence class, where relatedness is determined by the number of nodes that separate the stimuli in a class, and by the type of relation that defines the stimulus pairs in the class. Thus, stimuli in both resemblance-based categories, equivalence classes, and semantic memory networks have the coexisting properties of equal and differential relatedness.