Stimulus memory and contextual cues in the abstraction process.

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Abstract
Concept learning experiments were performed in which amount of stimulus context was varied. The 1st experiment used either well-known pictorial exemplars of person descriptive combinations only for those stimuli carrying key solution information, no pictorial exemplars for such combinations or abstract symbols. Problems varied with respect to number of stimuli needed to specify solution. Solution ease was greater the fewer the stimuli necessary to identify the concept; the most pronounced effect was in the pictorial condition and the least pronounced effect in the abstract symbolic condition. Memory for specific response assignments was greatest in the pictorial and least for the abstract symbolic condition. In the 2nd experiment, all stimuli needed to identify solution were positive instances in all problems. Solution ease was again greater the fewer stimuli necessary to identify solution. The effect of number of stimuli needed for solution could not be attributed to differential distribution of positive and negative instances among such stimuli. Evidence indicated that specific stimulus information and context enter into learning strategies.

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