Abstract
Distinguishing members from non-members of some categories can be accomplished by identifying one or several diagnostic features (e.g. zebra-stripes are diagnostic of zebras). Other categories lack diagnostic features (e.g. dogs). Consequently, distinguishing members from non-members requires attending to many correlated dimensions. Interestingly, children and non-human animals are less adept at using diagnostic features compared to adults – possibly due to adults’ more developed verbal labelling abilities. We examined whether recognition of categories with diagnostic features (“sparse” categories) is (1) linked to better abilities to selectively attend to relevant information and (2) aided by labelling. In Experiments 1–2, we quantify and validate a measure of category sparsity. Experiment 3 demonstrates that sparse categorisation, assessed by an implicit naming task, correlates with performance in the flanker task, a measure of selective attention. Experiment 4 demonstrates up-regulating activity over Wernicke's area via transcranial direct current stimulation – hypothesised to enhance labelling – selectively improves sparse categorisation.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1-19 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Journal | Language, Cognition and Neuroscience |
| DOIs | |
| State | Accepted/In press - Apr 12 2016 |
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Keywords
- Categorisation
- labelling
- object recognition
- selective representation
- transcranial direct current stimulation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Language and Linguistics
- Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
- Linguistics and Language
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Cite this
Recognising a zebra from its stripes and the stripes from “zebra” : the role of verbal labels in selecting category relevant information. / Perry, Lynn; Lupyan, Gary.
In: Language, Cognition and Neuroscience, 12.04.2016, p. 1-19.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Recognising a zebra from its stripes and the stripes from “zebra”
T2 - the role of verbal labels in selecting category relevant information
AU - Perry, Lynn
AU - Lupyan, Gary
PY - 2016/4/12
Y1 - 2016/4/12
N2 - Distinguishing members from non-members of some categories can be accomplished by identifying one or several diagnostic features (e.g. zebra-stripes are diagnostic of zebras). Other categories lack diagnostic features (e.g. dogs). Consequently, distinguishing members from non-members requires attending to many correlated dimensions. Interestingly, children and non-human animals are less adept at using diagnostic features compared to adults – possibly due to adults’ more developed verbal labelling abilities. We examined whether recognition of categories with diagnostic features (“sparse” categories) is (1) linked to better abilities to selectively attend to relevant information and (2) aided by labelling. In Experiments 1–2, we quantify and validate a measure of category sparsity. Experiment 3 demonstrates that sparse categorisation, assessed by an implicit naming task, correlates with performance in the flanker task, a measure of selective attention. Experiment 4 demonstrates up-regulating activity over Wernicke's area via transcranial direct current stimulation – hypothesised to enhance labelling – selectively improves sparse categorisation.
AB - Distinguishing members from non-members of some categories can be accomplished by identifying one or several diagnostic features (e.g. zebra-stripes are diagnostic of zebras). Other categories lack diagnostic features (e.g. dogs). Consequently, distinguishing members from non-members requires attending to many correlated dimensions. Interestingly, children and non-human animals are less adept at using diagnostic features compared to adults – possibly due to adults’ more developed verbal labelling abilities. We examined whether recognition of categories with diagnostic features (“sparse” categories) is (1) linked to better abilities to selectively attend to relevant information and (2) aided by labelling. In Experiments 1–2, we quantify and validate a measure of category sparsity. Experiment 3 demonstrates that sparse categorisation, assessed by an implicit naming task, correlates with performance in the flanker task, a measure of selective attention. Experiment 4 demonstrates up-regulating activity over Wernicke's area via transcranial direct current stimulation – hypothesised to enhance labelling – selectively improves sparse categorisation.
KW - Categorisation
KW - labelling
KW - object recognition
KW - selective representation
KW - transcranial direct current stimulation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84964562796&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84964562796&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/23273798.2016.1154974
DO - 10.1080/23273798.2016.1154974
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84964562796
SP - 1
EP - 19
JO - Language, Cognition and Neuroscience
JF - Language, Cognition and Neuroscience
SN - 2327-3798
ER -