Determining transformation distance in similarity: Considerations for assessing representational changes a priori

Abstract

The representational distortion (RD) approach to similarity (e.g., Hahn, Chater, & Richardson, 2003) proposes that similarity is computed using the transformation distance between two entities. We argue that researchers who adopt this approach need to be concerned with how representational transformations can be determined a priori. We discuss several roadblocks to using this approach. Specifically we demonstrate the difficulties inherent in determining what transformations are psychologically salient and the importance of considering the directionality of transformations.

Keywords:

• Distance
• Judgement
• Representation
• Similarity
• Transformation

Notes

¹Participants did not see the grey boxes or arrows; they have been added to help clarify the transformations for the reader. Furthermore, the configuration-conserved stimuli retained the same overall configural structure between the base and target 3 after two transformations whereas configuration-broken stimuli did not. Also, the same transformations were performed within targets 1, 2, and 3 for the configuration-conserved and configuration-broken bases.

²The shading of the blocks in the configuration-buried stimuli depict where the configuration-conserved stimuli were embedded. Participants did not see the stimuli with this shading.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lisa R. Grimm

Research supported by National Institutes of Health Grant 1 R21 DA015211-01A1 to Arthur B. Markman. Data collected at the University of Texas. The authors thank Iris van Rooij, two anonymous reviewers, and the AE for very helpful comments on the manuscript.