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The '''Semanticsemantic Featurefeature Comparisoncomparison Modelmodel''' is used "to derive predictions[[prediction]]s about [[categorization]] times in a situation where a subject must rapidly decide whether a test item is a member of a particular target category".<ref name=smith>Smith, E. E., Shoben. E. J., and Rips, L. J. (1974). Structure and Process in Semantic Memory: A Feature Model for Semantic Decisions. Psychological Review, 81(3), 214–241.</ref>. ThisIn this [[semantic model]], explainsthere howis humansan categorizeassumption objectsthat intocertain groupsoccurrences basedare oncategorized theirusing its features. Whenor aattributes newof itemthe istwo encountered,subjects itsthat basicrepresent featuresthe are identifiedpart and matched to the group. with which thoseA featuresstatement correspond.often Theused mostto popular example ofexplain this model is the statement “The"a [[European Robinrobin|robin]] is a bird".” The meaning of the words ''robin'' sharesand common''bird'' featuresare withstored allin birds,the butmemory hasby itsvirtue ownof uniquea list of features thatwhich differentiatecan itbe fromused allto otherultimately birds.define their categories, although the extent of their association with a particular category varies.
==History==
This model was conceptualized by Edward Smith, Edward Shoben and [[Lance Rips]] in 1974 after they derived various observations from semantic verification experiments conducted at the time. Respondents merely hadhave to answer '"true'" or '"false'" to given sentences. Out of these experiments, they observed that people respondedrespond faster when (1) statements wereare true, (2) nouns wereare members of smaller categories, (3) items wereare '"typical'" or commonly associated with the category (also called prototypes), and (4) items wereare primed by a similar item previously given ([[University of Alaska Anchorage]], n.d.). In the latter item, respondents respondedwill respond faster to the latter statement since the category “bird”bird has wasbeen primed. Based on the previous observations, the proponents were able to come up with the Semanticsemantic Featurefeature Comparisoncomparison Modelmodel.<ref name=smith/>
==Theory==
The cognitive approach consists of two concepts: [[information processing (psychology)|information processing]] depends on [[Mental representation|internal representations]], and that mental representations undergo transformations. For the first concept, we could describe an object in a number of ways, with drawings, equations, or verbal descriptions, but it is up to the recipient to have a background understanding of the context to which the object is being described in order to fully comprehend the deliverable. The second concept explains how memory can alter the way we perceive representations of something, by determining the sequence in which the information is processed based on previous experiences.
==Features==
The main features of the model, as discussed by Smith et al. (1974), are the defining features and the characteristic features. CharacteristicDefining features refer to basicthe characteristics that are essential elements of the category, the non-negotiable, so to speak. For example, the 'bird' category includes such characteristicdefining features as 'they have wings',' 'they have feathers,', 'they lay eggs,', etc. DefiningCharacteristic features refer to the elements usually found or inherent to specificcategory categoriesmembers but are not found in the generalall, overarchingor categorynon-essentials. For example, abirds robin'fly', has– redthat feathers--is allcharacteristic birdsbecause havewhile feathersmost (characteristic)birds fly, but red feathersthere are defining to asome robinwho specificallycannot.
The model has two stages for [[decision making]]. First, all features of the two concepts (bird and robin, in our example) are compared to find out how alike they are. If the decision is that they are very [[similarity (psychology)|similar]] or very dissimilar, then a true or false decision can be made. Second, if the characteristics/features are in-between then the focus shifts to the defining features in order to decide if the example possesses enough features of the category., Thethus, categorization depends on similarity and not on the size of the category.
==References==
[[Category:Cognitive science]]
[[Category:Semantics]]
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