Revisiting Miller’s Limit: Studies in Absolute Identification

.................................................................................................................... 1 Benchmark Phenomena ............................................................................................. 3 Limitation in Learning ...................................................................................... 4 Bow & Set Size Effect ...................................................................................... 6 Sequential Effects............................................................................................ 10 Stimulus Separation ........................................................................................ 12 Absolute vs. Relative Models ................................................................................. 12 Psychological Representation of Stimuli ................................................................ 14 Multidimensional Analysis (MDS) ................................................................. 15 Structural Forms Algorithm ............................................................................ 16 Summary and Overview of Main Body .................................................................. 17 Section One: Empirical Results ...................................................................... 19 Section Two: Theoretical Implications ........................................................... 20 References ............................................................................................................... 23 SECTION ONE: EMPIRICAL RESULTS ................................................................ 27 CHAPTER ONE (INCREASING CAPACITY: PRACTICE EFFECTS IN ABSOLUTE IDENTIFICATION) .......................................................................................................... 28 Abstract ................................................................................................................... 29 Experiment 1 ........................................................................................................... 32 Method ............................................................................................................ 33 Results ............................................................................................................. 35 Discussion ....................................................................................................... 39 Experiment 2 ........................................................................................................... 39 Method ............................................................................................................ 40 Results ............................................................................................................. 41 Discussion ....................................................................................................... 43 Experiment 3 ........................................................................................................... 43 Method ............................................................................................................ 44 Results ............................................................................................................. 44 Discussion ....................................................................................................... 47 Experiment 4 ........................................................................................................... 47 Method ............................................................................................................ 47 Results ............................................................................................................. 48 Discussion ....................................................................................................... 49 Experiment 5 ........................................................................................................... 49 Method ............................................................................................................ 50 Results ............................................................................................................. 51 Discussion ....................................................................................................... 56 Experiment 6 ........................................................................................................... 56 Method ............................................................................................................ 57 Results ............................................................................................................. 58 Discussion ....................................................................................................... 60 Experiment 7 ........................................................................................................... 61 Method ............................................................................................................ 61 Results ............................................................................................................. 62 Discussion ....................................................................................................... 63 Summary of Results ................................................................................................ 64 General Discussion ................................................................................................. 67 Theoretical implications .................................................................................. 71 Conclusions ..................................................................................................... 77 References ............................................................................................................... 79 CHAPTER TWO (STIMULUS-SPECIFIC LEARNING: DISRUPTING THE BOW EFFECT IN ABSOLUTE IDENTIFICATION) ........................................................................................ 82 Abstract ................................................................................................................... 83 Experiment 1 ........................................................................................................... 89 Method ............................................................................................................ 89 Results ............................................................................................................. 91 Discussion ....................................................................................................... 93 Experiment 2 ........................................................................................................... 94 Method ............................................................................................................ 94 Results ............................................................................................................. 95 Discussion ....................................................................................................... 97 Experiment 3 ........................................................................................................... 97 Method ............................................................................................................ 98 Results ............................................................................................................. 99 Discussion ..................................................................................................... 100 Response Biases .................................................................................................... 101 General Discussion ............................................................................................... 103 Previous Results on Unequal Stimulus Presentation Frequency................... 104 Theoretical Implications ............................................................................... 105 References ............................................................................................................. 108 SECTION TWO: THEORETICAL IMPLICATIONS ........................................... 111 CHAPTER THREE (PURELY RELATIVE MODELS CANNOT PROVIDE A GENERAL ACCOUNT OF ABSOLUTE IDENTIFICATION) ................................................................ 112 Abstract ................................................................................................................. 113 Absolute vs. Relative Stimulus Representations ........................................... 115 Methods ................................................................................................................. 118 Participants .................................................................................................... 118 Stimuli ........................................................................................................... 118 Procedure ...................................................................................................... 119 Results ................................................................................................................... 120 An Absolute Account of the Data ................................................................. 122 The Relative Account .................................................................................... 124 Lacouture (1997) ........................................................................................... 132 Rescuing the Relative Account ..................................................................... 135 Mapping the numeric feedback to stimulus magnitude ................................ 136 Judgment relative to the last two stimuli....................................................... 138 Discussion ............................................................................................................. 139 References ............................................................................................................. 143 Appendix ............................................................................................................... 145 CHAPTER FOUR (ABSOLUTE PRODUCTION AND ABSOLUTE IDENTIFICATION) ............ 148 Abstract ................................................................................................................. 149 Experiment ............................................................................................................ 155 Participants .................................................................................................... 155 Stimuli ........................................................................................................... 156 Procedure ...................................................................................................... 156 Results ................................................................................................................... 158 Categorised Responses .................................................................................. 159 Sequential Effects ......................................................................................... 160 Variability of Response Estimates ................................................................ 162 Discussion ............................................................................................................. 164 Identification and Production: A Point of Contact for Theoretical Accounts ....................................................................................................................... 165 A Candidate Response Mechanism............................................................... 169 References ............................................................................................................. 173 CHAPTER FIVE (MULTIDIMENSIONAL SCALING METHODS FOR ABSOLUTE IDENTIFICATION DATA) ............................................................................................. 176 Abstract ................................................................................................................. 177 Other Stimulus Dimensions .......................................................................... 179 Method .................................................................................................................. 181 Participants .................................................................................................... 181 Stimuli ........................................................................................................... 181 Procedure ...................................................................................................... 182 Results ................................................................................................................... 182 Simulation Study ........................................................................................... 188 Discussion ............................................................................................................. 191 References ............................................................................................................. 194 CHAPTER SIX (PERHAPS UNIDIMENSIONAL IS NOT UNIDIMENSIONAL) ....................... 196 Abstract ................................................................................................................. 197 Examining Psychological Representation ..................................................... 200 Data ....................................................................................................................... 203 Results ................................................................................................................... 205 Whole Data Sets ............................................................................................ 206 Effect of Practice ........................................................................................... 210 Discussion ............................................................................................................. 212 References ............................................................................................................. 216