Testing Similarity is Proximity in Realistic Reasoning Situations

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Testing Similarity is Proximity in Realistic Reasoning Situations. Bodo Winter & Teenie Matlock. Cognitive and Information Sciences. 23-28 June, 2013. SIMILARITY IS PROXIMITY. SIMILARITY IS PROXIMITY Casasanto (2008). SIMILARITY IS PROXIMITY Casasanto (2008). duty. pride. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Testing Similarity is Proximityin Realistic Reasoning Situations

Bodo Winter & Teenie Matlock

Cognitive and Information Sciences

23-28 June, 2013

SIMILARITY IS PROXIMITY

SIMILARITY IS PROXIMITYCasasanto (2008)

SIMILARITY IS PROXIMITYCasasanto (2008)

duty pride

SIMILARITY IS PROXIMITYCasasanto (2008)

duty pride

SIMILARITY IS PROXIMITYCasasanto (2008)

duty pride

How similar in meaning?

similar not similar

SIMILARITY IS PROXIMITYCasasanto (2008)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

SIMILARITY IS PROXIMITYCasasanto (2008)

"same" "different"

SIMILARITY IS PROXIMITYBoot & Pecher (2012), cf. Breaux & Feist (2008)

SIMILARITY IS PROXIMITYBoot & Pecher (2012), cf. Breaux & Feist (2008)

SIMILARITY IS PROXIMITYBoot & Pecher (2012), cf. Breaux & Feist (2008)

BUT… … the research is entirely within-subjects

(for a discussion of problems with this, cf. Stanovich & West, 2008)

… the research focuses on abstract tasks

… the unidirectionality/asymmetry of this metaphor has not been extensively tested

Condition 1: close Condition 2: far

82 participants

Space affects similarity ratings

Space affects similarity ratings

Space affects similarity ratings

t(80)=2.34, p<0.03

Space affects similarity ratings

Our experiments

Space > Similarity

Similarity > Space

Experiment 1

Experiment 2

Stimuli: People

Similar text

“Ann and Jen attend the same

class, but they have never talked

to each other. Ann likes hip hop,

and Jen does, too. They have

similar political ideals. Ann is

rather conservative, and so is

Jen. Also, Ann is outgoing, and

Jen is, too.”

Dissimilar text

“Ann and Jen attend the same

class, but they have never talked

to each other. Ann likes pop, but

Jen loves jazz. They have

different political ideals. Ann is

rather conservative, but Jen is

not. Also, Ann is outgoing but

Jen is shy.”

401 participants

Similarity affects distance

Similarity affects distance

Similarity affects distance

t(334.73)=6.96, p<0.0001

Similarity affects distance

Our experiments

Space > Similarity

Similarity > Space

Similarity > Space

Experiment 1

Experiment 2

Experiment 3

Stimuli: People Stimuli: Cities

Similar text

“The city of Swaneplam has just finished its

annual budget, and so has the city of

Scaneplave. Swaneplam decided to invest

more in education and public healthcare

this year. It will also contribute generously

to its public transportation system.

Similarly, Scaneplave will increase funding

for education and healthcare. Also like

Swaneplam, Scaneplave will dramatically

expand funds for transportation this year.”

Dissimilar text

“The city of Swaneplam has just finished its

annual budget, and so has the city of

Scaneplave. Swaneplam decided to invest

more in education and public healthcare

this year. It will also contribute generously

to its public transportation system. In

contrast, Scaneplave will decrease funding

for education and healthcare. Also unlike

Swaneplam, Scaneplave will dramatically

slash funds for transportation this year.”

Design

• Semantic SimilaritySimilar vs. Different

• Phonological SimilarityScaneplave / SwaneplamScaneplave / Mouchdalt

368participants

Semantic Manipulation

t(361)=2.44, p<0.02

Phonological Manipulation

t(361)=1.39, p=0.16

Scaneplavevs.

Mouchdalt

Scaneplavevs.

Swaneplam

Our experiments

Space > Similarity

Similarity > Space

Similarity > Space

Space > Similarity

Experiment 1

Experiment 2

Experiment 3

Experiment 4

Stimuli: People Stimuli: Cities

Condition 1: close Condition 2: far

40 participants

t(78)=2.31, p<0.03

Space affects similarity ratings

Our experiments

Space > Similarity

Similarity > Space

Similarity > Space

Space > Similarity

Experiment 1

Experiment 2

Experiment 3

Experiment 4

Stimuli: People Stimuli: Cities

Conclusions #1

Convergent evidence for SIMILARITY IS PROXIMITY

• Between subjects• Richer linguistic stimuli• More concrete

Conclusions #2

Unidirectionality/Asymmetry ofSIMILARITY IS PROXIMITY ?

Space > Similarity Similarity > Space

Conclusions #2

Physical Warmth > Social Warmth

Social Warmth > Physical Warmth

Distance >Social Warmth

Social Warmth > Distance

Space >Number

Number >Space

Williams & Bargh (2008a) Zhong & Leonardelli (2008)

Williams & Bargh (2008b) Matthews & Matlock (2011)

e.g., Dehaene et al. (1993) eg., Fischer et al. (2003)

Conclusions #3

(1) People judge entities to be more similar to each other when they are

placed closely in space

(2) People judge entities to be closer to each other when they are thought

to be more similar

Conclusions #3

(1) People judge entities to be more similar to each other when they are

placed closely in space

(2) People judge entities to be closer to each other when they are thought

to be more similar

Conclusions #3

This reflects how a metaphor such as SIMILARITY IS PROXIMITY plays a

role in everyday reasoning

Winter & Matlock (accepted)

Teenie Matlock

Christy Banks

Collaborator

THANK YOU

Jesse Falke

Research Assistants

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