A study funded by UK DERA at the University of Nottingham in the mid-1990s examined performance on a concept formation task, where subjects had to classify schematic aeroplanes as being either ‘USA’ or ‘Australian’. Subjects displayed poor performance, but more intriguingly exhibited a wide range of variability. A simple model of the same task, constructed in ACT-R, also displayed great variabi...

Natural language, which is closely linked to thought and reasoning, has been recognized as important to the design process. However, there is little work specifically on understanding the use of language as design stimuli. This paper presents the results of an experiment where verbal protocols were used to elicit information on how designers used semantic stimuli presented as words related to t...

We conducted a protocol study of the architectural sketching process. We decompose the process into process flows to explore the extent to which it expresses concept development in schematic and refined design phases. We track the development of design concepts in these phases by following the process flows of individual sketched strokes. We argue that each stroke drawn by the designer reveals ...

Even though synthesis is a crucial process in engineering design, synthesis knowledge is scarce. Previous studies in the use of machine learning techniques for design domains have concentrated mainly on learning analysis, rather than synthesis, knowledge. This study shows how synthesis knowledge can be acquired by concept formation. The paper evaluates the concept formation program COBWEB, disc...

Background. Concept analysis has identified three domains in the competent use of birth technology – interpersonal skills, professional knowledge and clinical proficiency – and tentative criteria for birth technology competence. Aim. Fieldwork was undertaken to observe, confirm and explore pre-defined attributes of birth technology competence. Method. The Swartz-Barcott and Kim (2000) hybrid mo...

On the received view, the Representational Theory of Measurement reduces measurement to the numerical representation of empirical relations. This account of measurement has been widely criticised. In this paper, I provide a new interpretation of the Representational Theory of Measurement that sidesteps these debates. I propose to view the Representational Theory of Measurement as a library of t...

In this paper we study the problem of of integrating abduction and learning as they appear in Arti cial Intelligence. A general comparison of abduction and induction as separate inferences and elds in AI is given. Based on this analysis we study their possible interaction and integration. We introduce the notions of of abductive concept learning as a framework for learning with incomplete backg...

A common definition of caregiving does not exist. In an attempt to define the concept of caregiving, the authors used a hybrid qualitative model of concept development to analyze caregiving. The model consists of three phases: (a) theoretical, (b) fieldwork, and (c) analytical. The theoretical phase involves conducting an interdisciplinary literature search, examining existing definitions, and ...

This research began as an examination of the problem solving strategies of individuals who believe they can control reinforcements they recelve (internals) and those who believe that outside forces control reinforcements (externals) under different conditions of skill and chance. This developed into a study of the cognitive functioning of internals and externals in concept formation tasks. Inte...

A new algorithm for clustering is presented — the Distributed Clustering Algorithm (DCA). It is designed to be incremental and to work in a real-time situation, thus making it suitable for robotics and in models of concept formation. The DCA starts with one cluster (or rather prototype at the center of the cluster), successively adding prototypes and distributing them according to data density ...