Explorations of Feature-Based Categorisation Processes and the Conceptual Space

Abstract

Building on the latest developments in organisational categorisation research, this
thesis explores feature-based category processes via an in-depth online experiment. Through the examination of real-world complex category structures, feature inference behaviours and the influence of communicative processes, this research aims to expand the scope for future research on organisational category dynamics by providing an introduction of the underpinning psychology theories and testing these in the cultural context. The real-world stimuli of the pre-Incan Moche and Nazca categories have provided an interesting and suitably complex conceptual space that has allowed insights into the categorisation behaviour of individuals.

The findings of this study contribute to the understanding of feature-based category dynamics by illustrating the complex concept structures with multiple prototypes that emerge based on the feature space and showing that these structures influence the categorisation behaviour. Moreover, the feature inference behaviour in this feature-base conceptual space is explored and the results show that in addition to the effects of the similarity to the category prototypes, participants also drew on feature correlations. Lastly, the experimental manipulation designed to investigate the influence of a communicative scenarios on the label assignment behaviour in both categorisation and feature inference decisions, provided some evidence that participants do use labels differently when interacting with another person.