Semantic feature-comparison model: Difference between revisions

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'''Semantic Feature Comparison Model''' is used "to derive predictions 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>. In thisThis [[semantic model]], thereexplains ishow anhumans assumptioncategorize thatobjects certaininto occurrencesgroups arebased categorizedon using itstheir features. orWhen attributesa ofnew theitem twois subjectsencountered, thatits representbasic thefeatures partare identified and matched to the group with which those features correspond. AThe statementmost oftenpopular usedexample to explainof this model is 'athe statement “The [[European Robin|robin]] is a bird'.” The meaning of the words robin andshares birdcommon arefeatures storedwith inall thebirds, memorybut byhas virtueits ofown a list ofunique features whichthat candifferentiate beit usedfrom toall ultimatelyother definebirds. 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 havehad to answer 'true' or 'false' to given sentences. Out of these experiments, they observed that people respondresponded faster when (1) statements arewere true, (2) nouns arewere members of smaller categories, (3) items arewere 'typical' or commonly associated with the category (also called prototypes), and (4) items arewere primed by a similar item previously given ([[University of Alaska Anchorage]], n.d.). In the latter item, respondents will respondresponded faster to the latter statement since the category bird has“bird” beenwas primed. Based on the previous observations, the proponents were able to come up with the Semantic Feature Comparison Model.<ref name=smith/>

==Theory==

The cognitive approach consists of two concepts: [[information processing]] depends on 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. DefiningCharacteristic features refer to the characteristics that are essentialbasic elements of the category, the non-negotiable, so to speak. For example, the 'bird' category includes such definingcharacteristic features as 'they have wings,' 'they have feathers,' 'they lay eggs,' etc. CharacteristicDefining features refer to the elements usually found or inherent to categoryspecific memberscategories but are not found in allthe general, oroverarching non-essentialscategory. For example, birdsa 'fly,'robin –has thatred isfeathers-- characteristicall becausebirds whilehave mostfeathers birds fly(characteristic), therebut red feathers are somedefining to a whorobin cannotspecifically.

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 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,. thus,The categorization depends on similarity and not on the size of the category.

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 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, thus, categorization depends on similarity and not on the size of the category.

==References==