On The Similarity Judgment Process

Similarity underlies fundamental cognitive capabilities such as memory, categorization, decision making, problem solving, and reasoning. The structural alignment model of similarity distinguishes 2 types of difference that may occur between stimuli: Alignable differences and nonalignable differences.Alignable differences are those related to a structural commonality, whereas nonalignable differences are not related to a structural commonality. The distinction between alignable and nolignable differences is critical because it can provides the basis of alignment theory's predictions about how people evaluate similarity. Exp- -eriment 1 demonstrate that nonalignable differences exerted a greater impact than alignable differences in similarity judgments,when compare only one dimensionality of transformations.When compare two dimensionalities of transformations in alignable differentiates,these data of the experiment 2 pose a challenge for RD(representational distortion). Similarity as Interactive Activation and Mapping (SIAM) model of structural alignment theory succeed predict the process of similarity judgments.Experiment 2 also demonstrate that MIP(match in place) exerted a greater impact than a MOP(math out place) in similarity judgments,but MOP exerted a great impact in similarity judgments.