Concept formation based on the relations among values of multi-component figures.

A complex discrimination procedure was used to test class formation with multi-component figures in college students. First, selections of a red-+45 degrees -oriented rectangle (A1B1) instead of a red -45 degrees -oriented rectangle (A1B2) and of a green -45 degrees -oriented rectangle (A2B2) instead of a green-+45 degrees -oriented rectangle (A2B1), were reinforced. Second, selections of a +45 degrees -obtuse-angle-white hexagon (B1C1), instead of a +45 degrees -two-acute-angle hexagon (B1C2) and of a -45 degrees -two-acute-angle hexagon (B2C2), instead of a -45 degrees -obtuse-angle hexagon (B2C1), were reinforced. Subsequent tests with figures A1B1 and A2B1, A2B2 and A1B2, B1C1 and B2C1, and B2C2 and B1C2 demonstrated selection of the same figures as in training. Other tests with a novel figure compounded by color A1 and form C1 and a novel figure compounded by color A1 and form C2, or a novel figure compounded by A2 and C1 and a novel figure compounded by A2 and C2 demonstrated consistent selection of figures A1C1 and A2C2. A final test with figures A1C1 and A2C1, or with figures A2C2 and A1C2 also showed consistent selections of the same figures -A1C1 and A2C2. The resulting classification among selected and non-selected figures cannot be based on particular properties of the selected figures, or in a combination of a particular set of those properties, because both selected and non-selected figures were compounded by identical values. Instead, the participants selected the figures with two values of the same set (A1,B1, or C1, or A2,B2 or C2). Thus, these results demonstrated categorization based on the relations among the values of the figures. Therefore, these results have important implications for the study of concept formation.