Semantic feature-comparison model: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 14:49, 20 May 2016

Revision as of 20:43, 17 March 2017

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==Theory==

The cognitive approach consists of two concepts: [[information processing]] depends on [[internalMental representation|internal representations]]s, 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. Defining features refer to the characteristics that are essential elements of the category, the non-negotiable, so to speak. For example, the 'bird' category includes such defining features as 'they have wings,' 'feathers,' 'they lay eggs,' etc. Characteristic features refer to the elements usually found or inherent to category members but are not found in all, or non-essentials. For example, birds 'fly,' – that is characteristic because while most birds fly, there are some who cannot.

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

==References==