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STAGES IN CONCEPT FORMATION
Author(s) -
Rommetveit Ragnar,
Kvale Steinar
Publication year - 1965
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.743
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1467-9450
pISSN - 0036-5564
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9450.1965.tb01053.x
Subject(s) - luck , psychology , replication (statistics) , extension (predicate logic) , social psychology , range (aeronautics) , cognitive psychology , developmental psychology , epistemology , statistics , mathematics , computer science , philosophy , materials science , composite material , programming language
In a replication and extension of previous studies of concept formation, complex geometrical patterns were used to signal luck and bad luck at a wheel of fortune. Learning the concept in this setting meant learning the difference between ‘good.’ and ‘bad.’ patterns. Once more, a ‘pre‐functional’ stage of concept formation was identified. This stage has been observed (and replicated) only under a narrow range of conditions. Thus, it was not found when the reward schedule went contrary to expectations. The most important novel finding is a clearly detrimental effect of a pre‐experimental request to verbalize the difference upon post‐experimental sorting of pregnant verbal descriptions of ‘good.’ and ‘bad.’ geometrical patterns.