Date of Award
1973
Degree Name
Psychology
College
College of Liberal Arts
Type of Degree
M.A.
Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
Adult humans make choices in concept identification problems which are determined by the particular strategies which they adopt at the time. In such problems, every presentation of a rnultidimensional concept, such as a stimulus which varies in form, color and shape, is referred to as an "instance". Described two general approaches which Ss take in learning a concept. The wholist strategy involves using all of the attributes of a concept as a working hypothesis. As successive instances are presented, the S gradually eliminates the irrelevant attributes. Another approach to discrimination learning may be referred to as the partist strategy. In this case, the S uses some number of attributes less than the total as his working hypothesis. Considerable modification of the S's original hypothesis may occur whenever the partist strategy is employed, for it is obvious that the original hypothesis might not even include the correct concept. Recent experimentation in this area has produced evidence which suggests that Ss make use of both the wholist and the partist strategy.
Subject(s)
Identity (Philosophical concept)
Philosophy -- Research.
Psychology -- Research.
Recommended Citation
Gentry, Gary B., "An examination of sampling strategies in concept identification" (1973). Theses, Dissertations and Capstones. 2018.
https://mds.marshall.edu/etd/2018
