Alternative Explanations for Changes in Similarity Judgments and MDS Structure

Abstract

[Excerpt] The basic purpose of our paper (Johnson et al., 1990) was to see if the repetitive task of providing similarity judgments affects the cognitive structure evidenced by those judgments. The data clearly indicate that the structure changed through the course of the task. Moreover, this change is consistent with a categorization-based response to task fatigue. Three primary criticisms have been raised in response to our paper (Malhotra, 1990): (1) fatigue is not directly measured, (2) our hypotheses do not follow from our categorization framework, and (3) our hypotheses and findings are more consistent with a learning framework.