Putting category learning in order: Category structure and temporal arrangement affect the benefit of interleaved over blocked study

Carvalho, Paulo F.; Goldstone, Robert L.

doi:10.3758/s13421-013-0371-0

Cited by 175Memory Processes and InfluencesCategorization, perception, and languageVisual and Cognitive Learning Processes

Putting category learning in order: Category structure and temporal arrangement affect the benefit of interleaved over blocked study

Carvalho, Paulo F., Goldstone, Robert L.·2014·Memory & Cognition

DOI 10.3758/s13421-013-0371-0

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Abstract

Recent research in inductive category learning has demonstrated that interleaved study of category exemplars results in better performance than does studying each category in separate blocks. However, the questions of how the category structure influences this advantage and how simultaneous presentation interacts with the advantage are open issues. In this article, we present three experiments. The first experiment indicates that the advantage of interleaved over blocked study is modulated by the structure of the categories being studied. More specifically, interleaved study results in better generalization for categories with high within- and between-category similarity, whereas blocked presentation results in better generalization for categories with low within- and between-category similarity. In Experiment 2, we present evidence that when presented simultaneously, between-category comparisons (interleaved presentation) result in a performance advantage for high-similarity categories, but no differences were found for low-similarity categories. In Experiment 3, we directly compared simultaneous and successive presentation of low-similarity categories. We again found an overall benefit for blocked study with these categories. Overall, these results are consistent with the proposal that interleaving emphasizes differences between categories, whereas blocking emphasizes the discovery of commonalities among objects within the same category.

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Authors: Carvalho, P. F., & Goldstone, R. L.
Affiliations: Indiana University Bloomington (US)
Corresponding author: Carvalho, Paulo F.
ORCID: Carvalho, Paulo F.
Goldstone, Robert L.
Venue: Memory & Cognition
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published: 2013-10-03
Volume: 42
Issue: 3
Pages: 481-495
ISSN: 0090-502X (ISSN-L)
1532-5946
DOI: 10.3758/s13421-013-0371-0
OpenAlex: W2061832492
Cited by: 175
References: 69
Citations by year: 2026: 12 · 2025: 20 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 7
FWCI: 6.37
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
www.springer.com/tdm (vor)
Locations: Memory & Cognition (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics: Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Categorization, perception, and language
Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Visual and Cognitive Learning Processes
Keywords: category learning, category structure, simultaneous presentation, successive presentation, generalization, inductive learning
MeSH terms: Adult, Concept Formation, Generalization, Psychological, Humans, Learning, Young Adult

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Putting category learning in order: Category structure and temporal arrangement affect the benefit of interleaved over blocked study

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