Two experiments tested 10-month-old infants' categorization abilities. Infants were presented with a sequence of stimuli depicting members of a given category. Stimuli representing nonmembers of the category were inserted into the sequence. Infants appeared to disregard the nonmembers in the sequence. (MDM)

This article explains features of the 1992 American Association on Mental Retardation's definition and classification of mental retardation and then discusses six major implications of the system, such as the purpose of diagnosis, basis of classification, reliance on clinical judgment, provision of education and habilitation services, focus on…

Examined the possibility that knowledge about hierarchical organization of categories and cross-language equivalents for object labels can help children limit use of the assumption that nouns pick out mutually exclusive object categories. Findings suggest that even preschoolers use knowledge about language and categorization to fine tune the…

A connectionist model of category learning, attention learning covering map (ALCOVE), is described. The application of the model across a variety of category learning tasks is reviewed, and it is compared with other models. ALCOVE is shown to be superior to double-node and configural cue models. (SLD)

Applies concepts taken from the anthropological study of folk taxonomy to the semantic categorization of the senses in English, concluding that the 11 groups of contrast sets generally support hypotheses about folk taxonomies and present interesting data for cross-cultural comparisons. (five references) (CB)

Conducted two-part study to examine reasons underlying finding that experimentally provided vocational constructs are used in less complex, less differentiated ways than are subjects' personally elicited construct dimensions. Findings support significant differences between use of elicited and provided constructs and helped to isolate personal…

Application of equality constraints on the categories of a variable is a simple and useful extension of multiple correspondence analysis. Equality is an easy way to incorporate prior knowledge. A procedure to deal with unequal category numbers and with subsets of variables is outlined and illustrated. (SLD)

Studied 73 couples twice 4 years apart. Proposed typology of five groups of couples (validators, volatiles, avoiders, hostile, and hostile/detached) based on observational data of Time 1 resolution of conflict, specific affects, and affect sequences. Over four years, groups differed significantly in serious consideration of divorce and in…

Identifies a plant species found in California that is probably related to a now extinct continental ancestor of a species found on the Hawaiian Islands. Discussed are the implications about how plants worldwide came to be where they are. (KR)

Categorizing performance of 12 expert and 12 novice subjects was compared in 3 experiments for feature listing; object naming; and category verification. In all, 15 dog experts and 16 bird experts participated. Implications for research concerning the basic level for categorizing objects are discussed. (SLD)

Notes that, as social work gradually enters electronic information era, interface between social work practice and computer world is often accompanied by disharmony. Presents current classification and terminology of software, identifies drawbacks, and proposes new classification approach based on needs of social workers. Discusses how combination…

Report on exploratory research which investigated image attributes in a series of describing tasks. Results suggest that access to a wide range of attributes is needed to address all facets of interest and that certain classes of attributes may appear more frequently (literal objects, human form and associated attributes, color, and location).…

Two experiments used error-detection to determine the reason for 3-year olds' perseverative errors on the postswitch phase of the Dimensional Change Card Sort. Results implied that perseveration cannot be attributed to difficulty inhibiting prepotent motor responses, but that changes in rule use between 3 and 5 years are more likely to increase…

Describes a Statistical Analysis System (SAS) MACRO for computing various indices of interrater agreement, including a new generalizability coefficient, for categorical data in a single-facet, crossed design. (Author/SLD)

The classification capabilities of the one-dimensional Kohonen neural network (T. Kohonen, 1995) were compared with those of two partitioning and three hierarchical cluster methods in 2,580 data sets with known cluster structure. Overall, the performance of the Kohonen networks was similar to, or better than, that of the others. Implications for…