Being yet another of that reported 2% (orange hammer, in my case), I'm a bit
disinclined to explain a phenomenon that so far doesn't seem to exist.
However, I can imagine a mechanism by which the math would make a difference.
"Red" and "hammer" seem fairly prototypical of their respective categories,
right? What causes a person to mention a NON-prototypical member of a category
when asked to mention a member of a category? Is it possible that a heavy
mental load (the calculating) heads off some other process that might otherwise
"kick in" when we decide to show off our uniqueness by coming up with some
non-prototypical example?
> Without the math, ask a group of people to name a color. Then ask them to
> name a tool. Red
> and hammer are probably most likely (although not 98%, with or without the
> math).
Have a large group do it with the math. Have another large group do it
without the math. Have another large group do it with some other fairly heavy
but non-mathematical task (perhaps "count the letters 't' in this sentence"). I
imagine there'd be slightly different frequencies of "red hammer" across the
groups. I would also look at the frequencies of oddball responses: things like
"purple t-square", for example. I'd predict a lot more of those in the no-task
group, and an effect that was less subtle than the "red hammer" effect (because
that might not be the clear prototypes for everyone).
Paul Smith
Alverno College
Milwaukee
Michael T. Scoles, Ph.D.
Interim Chair, Dept. Psychology & Counseling
University of Central Arkansas
Conway, AR 72035
>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 02/08/05 4:23 PM >>>
Note: forwarded message attached.
Hi: Any Tipster know what makes this one work?
Gerry Palmer
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