Role of specific similarity in a medical diagnostic task.

Brooks, Lee R.; Norman, Geoffrey R.; Allen, Scott W.

doi:10.1037/0096-3445.120.3.278

Cited by 266 publications

(169 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…(The following examples are inspired by Brooks et al, 1991). Suppose that our dermatologist knows the additive rule that, 'If the lesion has a sufficient number of the following features-elliptical shape, bumpy texture, reddish-brown coloring, etc.-then Disease X is indicated'.…”

Section: The General Distinctionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alternative strategies of categorization

1998

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Section: The General Distinctionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alternative strategies of categorization

1998

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“…However, people often fail to access prior cases in new contexts (Gick & Holyoak, 1980, 1983Reeves & Weisberg, 1994;Ross, 1987Ross, , 1989. Although people do show some degree of spontaneous relational transfer (Gentner, Rattermann, & Forbus, 1993;Johnson & Seifert, 1992), most remindings to prior situations appear to be driven largely by surface similarities, such as similar characters and settings, rather than by similarities in relational structure (Brooks, 1987;Brooks, Norman, & Allen, 1991;Catrambone, 2002;Gentner et al, 1993;Gick & Holyoak, 1980, 1983Ross, 1984Ross, , 1987Ross, , 1989. This means that people often fail to apply past learning to new situations that share the same causal or mathematical principles.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reviving Inert Knowledge: Analogical Abstraction Supports Relational Retrieval of Past Events

Gentner¹,

et al. 2009

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We present five experiments and simulation studies to establish late analogical abstraction as a new psychological phenomenon: Schema abstraction from analogical examples can revive otherwise inert knowledge. We find that comparing two analogous examples of negotiations at recall time promotes retrieving analogical matches stored in memory-a notoriously elusive effect. Another innovation in this research is that we show parallel effects for real-life autobiographical memory (Experiments 1-3) and for a controlled memory set (Experiments 4 and 5). Simulation studies show that a unified model based on schema abstraction can capture backward (retrieval) effects as well as forward (transfer) effects.

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“…First, categorization learning is closely linked to the acquisition of expertise (e.g., Medin & Edelson, 1988). Many expert tasks, such as dermatological diagnosis (Brooks, Norman, & Allen, 1991), can be thought of as variants of categorization. Second, categorization tasks can be designed so that they are solvable by several alternative strategies, which in turn permits the use of experimental cues to encourage knowledge restructuring without overt alteration of the stimuli.…”

Section: Categorization Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Competing strategies in categorization: Expediency and resistance to knowledge restructuring.

Lewandowsky¹,

Kalish²,

Griffiths³

2000

Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cogni

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The authors investigated people's ability to restructure their knowledge when additional information about a categorization task is revealed. In 2 experiments, people first learned to rely on a fairly accurate (but imperfect) predictor. At various points in training, a complex relationship between 2 other predictors was revealed in a schematic diagram that could support perfect performance. In Experiment 1, people adopted the complex strategy when it was revealed at the outset but were unable to restructure their knowledge after the expedient predictor had been learned. In Experiment 2, expedient knowledge persisted even with an adaptive display. The persistence of expedient knowledge is explained by associative blocking of potential alternative cues. A 3rd experiment analyzed the strategies people use with and without the diagram. The study confirmed that the diagram, when presented at the outset, significantly alters people's approach to the task.Knowledge restructuring is often observed when people develop new skills, both in the real world and in the laboratory; paradoxically, expertise at these skills in some cases also seems to prevent restructuring of knowledge. Little is known about the processes involved in knowledge restructuring, and our investigation formed a first step toward describing those processes in order to better understand when restructuring occurs and when it is resisted.Specifically, we examined people's ability to adapt and restructure their knowledge when previously concealed information about a categorization task was revealed halfway through training. The task could be performed either by relying on an expedient single predictor that permitted fairly accurate (but imperfect) performance or by learning one of several complex (but potentially perfect) strategies involving two predictors. It was known from previous research that people can use a complex strategy for this task if the relationship between predictors is revealed in a schematic diagram before training (Lewandowsky, Dunn, Kirsner, & Randell, 1997). Here, we asked two questions: First, can people use the diagram to restructure their knowledge after having learned to rely on the expedient predictor, and what are the processes underlying that restructuring? Identification of those processes requires exploration of the second question, namely what exact strategy or rule people used with and without the diagram. We report three experiments in which the diagram was presented at various points in training.Stephan Lewandowsky, Mike Kalish, and Thomas L. Griffiths, Department of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Australia.Preparation of this article was facilitated by Large Research Grants A79600016 and A79941108 from the Australian Research Council. We thank Janet Phang and Lih Yi Soong for assistance during data collection and analysis, and Mike Mundy and Christina Chandler for help during preparation of this article.Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Stephan Lewandowsky, Department of...

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Role of specific similarity in a medical diagnostic task.

Cited by 266 publications

References 25 publications

Alternative strategies of categorization

Alternative strategies of categorization

Reviving Inert Knowledge: Analogical Abstraction Supports Relational Retrieval of Past Events

Competing strategies in categorization: Expediency and resistance to knowledge restructuring.

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