The Use of Reference Points in a Sorting Task

The research results presented here draw from data previously reported at SIG-CR 95 (Jorgensen1995b). The theoretical perspectives of categorical perception are used to investigate the nature of similarity judgements in a pictorial environment and to develop a conceptual framework for exploration of the use of reference points in a sorting task. Both Boundary Reference Points and Prototype Reference Points are used by participants in the sorting task. The classification process does not appear to move in a linear or orderly way, and several suggestions concerning the nature of the use of reference points in classificatory behavior do not seem to be supported by this data. Theresults carry implications both for understanding the nature of classificatory behavior and for image indexing and retrieval applications.