A group model of form recognition under plane similarity transformations

A structure of the normal subgroups of the plane similarity group was constructed. In this group model, the plane similarity contains two normal subgroups: the direct similarity group and the dihedral group. While the latter preserves the size of a form, the former preserves its sense. Both subgroups contain a cyclic group as their normal subgroup. An experiment in form recognition using reaction time as the behavioral index was designed and conducted to test the theory of the group structure. The experimental results agree with the group theoretical model. The images generated by a normal subgroup that preserves the sense of a form require less time to identify than those induced by a normal subgroup that preserves its size. The reversal of the sense of a form creates more instability in an image and provides less information than change of size of the form. The normal subgroup that preserves the sense and the uprightness of a form maximizes symmetries and supplies the most information. Therefore, it provides the best condition for recognition of the image of a form.     

Design and implementation of domain-specific cognitive system based on question similarity algorithm

The cognitive system is an artificial intelligence product that integrates natural language processing techniques. The biggest d on logical reasoning, which can help users improve exploration and accelerate discovery. On the basis of natural language processing and logical reasoning, the paper adopts similarity algorithm bas difference between big data analysis systems and cognitive systems is that cognitive systems can directly deal with the problems raised by natural language forms and provide predictions baseded on question sentences, designs a cognitive system for specific domains, and finally realizes it on the NAO robot platform.     

Visual judgment of similarity across shape transformations: evidence for a compositional model of articulated objects

A single biological object, such as a hand, can assume multiple, very different shapes, due to the articulation of its parts. Yet we are able to recognize all of these shapes as examples of the same object. How is this invariance to pose achieved? Here, we present evidence that the visual system maintains a model of object transformation that is based on rigid, convex parts articulating at extrema of negative curvature, i.e., part boundaries. We compared similarity judgments in a task in which subjects had to decide which of the two transformed versions of a 'base' shape-one a 'biologically valid' articulation and one a geometrically similar but 'biologically invalid' articulation-was more similar to the base shape. Two types of comparisons were made: in the figure/ground-reversal, the invalid articulation consisted of exactly the same contour transformation as the valid one with reversed figural polarity. In the axis-of-rotation reversal, the valid articulation consisted of a part rotated around its concave part boundaries, while the invalid articulation consisted of the same part rotated around the endpoints on the opposite side of the part. In two separate 2AFC similarity experiments-one in which the base and transformed shapes were presented simultaneously and one in which they were presented sequentially-subjects were more likely to match the base shape to a transform when it corresponded to a legitimate articulation. These results suggest that the visual system maintains expectations about the way objects will transform, based on their static geometry.     

Hardly thinking about others: On cognitive busyness and target similarity in social comparison effects

Two studies were undertaken to investigate the impact of other-self similarity on the outcome of social comparison effects when people are cognitively busy versus non-busy. Results demonstrate that when perceivers are able to devote sufficient cognitive resources to the comparison process, extremely similar others lead to assimilative self-evaluations, whereas moderately similar others lead to contrastive self-evaluations and dissimilar others lead to null effects. When perceivers are cognitively busy, however, both extremely and moderately similar others yield assimilation effects, whereas dissimilar others yield contrast effects.     

The effects of depression and cognitive vulnerability to depression on judgments of similarity between self and other

The present research was conducted to investigate the effects of mild levels of depression, and cognitive vulnerability to depression, on people's perceptions of their similarity to others. Depression level was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory, and cognitive vulnerability was measured with the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale. Subjects rated their similarity to others on a 7-point scale and also generated a list of attributes thought to typify the average other person. In terms of similarity judgments, individuals perceived themselves to be less similar to others as depression level increased. Furthermore, and also as predicted, only individuals scoring high on the vulnerability measure exhibited this pattern. Given the consistently positive view of others expressed by all subjects, this latter finding suggests that vulnerable individuals saw themselves as increasingly distinctive with respect to their own negative attributes, as depression level increased. This social comparison interpretation is consistent with previous research indicating that vulnerable individuals change from a focus on self-referent positive traits when nondepressed to a focus on negative traits when depressed. This pattern is also identified as a possible contributor to the social isolation and interpersonal difficulties characteristic of depression.     

Latent semantic analysis cosines as a cognitive similarity measure: Evidence from priming studies

In distributional semantics models (DSMs) such as latent semantic analysis (LSA), words are represented as vectors in a high-dimensional vector space. This allows for computing word similarities as the cosine of the angle between two such vectors. In two experiments, we investigated whether LSA cosine similarities predict priming effects, in that higher cosine similarities are associated with shorter reaction times (RTs). Critically, we applied a pseudo-random procedure in generating the item material to ensure that we directly manipulated LSA cosines as an independent variable. We employed two lexical priming experiments with lexical decision tasks (LDTs). In Experiment 1 we presented participants with 200 different prime words, each paired with one unique target. We found a significant effect of cosine similarities on RTs. The same was true for Experiment 2, where we reversed the prime-target order (primes of Experiment 1 were targets in Experiment 2, and vice versa). The results of these experiments confirm that LSA cosine similarities can predict priming effects, supporting the view that they are psychologically relevant. The present study thereby provides evidence for qualifying LSA cosine similarities not only as a linguistic measure, but also as a cognitive similarity measure. However, it is also shown that other DSMs can outperform LSA as a predictor of priming effects.     

Bidimensional regression: assessing the configural similarity and accuracy of cognitive maps and other two-dimensional data sets

Bidimensional regression is a method for comparing the degree of resemblance between 2 planar configurations of points and, more generally, for assessing the nature of the geometry (Euclidean and non-Euclidean) between 2-dimensional independent and dependent variables. For example, it can assess the similarity between location estimates from different tasks or participant groups, measure the fidelity between cognitive maps and actual locations, and provide parameters for psychological process models. The authors detail the formal similarity between uni- and bidimensional regression, provide computational methods and a new index of spatial distortion, outline the advantages of bidimensional regression over other techniques, and provide guidelines for its use. The authors conclude by describing substantive areas in psychology for which the method would be appropriate and uniquely illuminating.     

Identity and similarity

The standard approach to the so-called paradoxes of identity has been to argue that these paradoxes do not essentially concern the notion of identity but rather betray misconceptions on our part regarding other metaphysical notions, like that of an object or a property. This paper proposes a different approach by pointing to an ambiguity in the identity predicate and arguing that the concept of identity that figures in many ordinary identity claims, including those that appear in the paradoxes, is not the traditional philosophical concept but one that can be defined in terms of relevant similarity. This approach to the paradoxes will be argued to be superior to the standard one.     

Belief similarity and attitude similarity as determinants of interpersonal attraction

It was predicted that attraction would be a function of both attitude similarity and belief similarity, but that attitude similarity would have the greater influence. In Expt I, 60 subjects were presented with strangers that were either similar or dissimilar on attitude and on belief. Attraction was a positive function of both attitude similarity (p < .05) and belief similarity (p < .01). Experiment II replicated and extended Expt I with the addition of a 50% similar group for both attitude and belief. Attraction was a positive linear function of both attitude similarity (p < .001) and belief similarity (p < .02); departure from linearity was not significant. Attitude similarity also had greater effects on other aspects of interpersonal evaluation than belief similarity. The results were discussed in terms of the locus of reinforcement of attitude similarity and of belief similarity.     

Relational similarity and the nonindependence of features in similarity judgments

Four experiments examined the hypothesis that simple attributional features and relational features operate differently in the determination of similarity judgments. Forced choice similarity judgments ("Is X or Y more similar to Z?") and similarity rating tasks demonstrate that making the same featural change in two geometric stimuli unequally affects their judged similarity to a third stimulus (the comparison stimulus). More specifically, a featural change that causes stimuli to be more superficially similar and less relationally similar increases judged similarity if it occurs in stimuli that already share many superficial attributes, and decreases similarity if it occurs in stimuli that do not share as many superficial attributes. These results argue against an assumption of feature independence which asserts that the degree to which a feature shared by two objects affects similarity is independent of the other features shared by the objects. The MAX hypothesis is introduced, in which attributional and relational similarities are separately pooled, and shared features affect similarity more if the pool they are in is already relatively large. The results support claims that relations and attributes are psychologically distinct and that formal measures of similarity should not treat all types of matching features equally.     

In the eye of the beholder: The role of cognitive style and similarity in the evaluation of brand extensions

Fit has been identified as an antecedent of the success of brand extensions. Recently, a new stream of literature has distinguished two different types of fit: feature‐based taxonomic similarity and relation‐based thematic similarity. Although researchers in this field have investigated how thematic and taxonomic brand extensions are evaluated, they have not accounted for interindividual differences in these evaluations. To address this gap, we investigate how cognitive styles are related to the evaluation of brand extensions that are based on different types of similarity. We show that a systematic cognitive style is related to the evaluation of taxonomic brand extensions. Moreover, we take the first steps to disentangle the relationship between intuitive cognitive style and the evaluation of thematic brand extensions, and we show that positive affect might play an important role as a moderator in these cases. The results provide us with a better understanding of how interindividual differences in information processing might account for differences in preferences for different types of brand extensions and, hence, consumer behavior.     

Choice frequency and similarity

Abstract.— Within the framework of a Thurstonian approach to social choice frequencies, an assumption of a positive correlation between similarity and correlation predicts smaller standard deviations of utility differences for more similar choice objects. This prediction was supported in two studies of similarity and preference, one concerned with social science disciplines and the other with Swedish political parties. Implications for understanding social choice phenomena in politics and marketing are discussed.     

Poston on similarity and acquaintance

In this article, I try to defend my conception of noninferential justification from important criticisms raised by Ted Poston in a recent article published in Philosophical Studies. More specifically, I argue that from within the framework of an acquaintance theory, one can still allow for fallible noninferential justification, and one can do so without losing the advantages I claim for the theory.