| According to the theory-based approach to categorization, background knowledge plays a critical role in supporting categorization decisions. In five sets of studies, this thesis presents and evaluates a version of this view---the Explanation-Mapping hypothesis---that incorporates explanation with a model of the structure-sensitive comparison processes that may underlie theory-based categorization decisions. The first goal of this thesis is to present an explanation-based proposal that emerges from viewing categorization as an inference to the best explanation. The second goal is to explore the kinds of processes that could support explanation-based categorization. I will argue that categorization processes supported by explanatory information share much in common with nondeductive forms of inference such as analogy, and thus may be partly understood in terms of structure-mapping theory (e.g., Gentner, 1983; Medin, Goldstone, & Gentner, 1993). |
