The long term goal of the proposed project is to develop a theoretical account of the processes underlying diagnostic classification learning in medical problem solving. The research is aimed at analyzing the cognitive processes associated with acquiring, accessing, and updating diagnostic categories. The proposed experiments are in three main areas. One focus in on the use of base rate or prevalence information where this base rate information derives from experience in classifying cases. A second objective is to study learning variables associated with acquiring and using diagnostic categories. For example, one set of studies examines how abstract information is integrated with experience with examples or cases to determine classification performance. The third area of interest is in the relationship between abstract category structures and diagnostic reasoning processes in determining what is learned (the nature of inductive generalizations) about diagnostic categories. All of the work will make use of classification learning research drawn from cognitive psychology.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Library of Medicine (NLM)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01LM004375-02
Application #
3373658
Study Section
Biomedical Library Review Committee (BLR)
Project Start
1985-09-01
Project End
1988-08-31
Budget Start
1986-09-01
Budget End
1987-08-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
1986
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Department
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
041544081
City
Champaign
State
IL
Country
United States
Zip Code
61820
Medin, D L (1989) Concepts and conceptual structure. Am Psychol 44:1469-81
Medin, D L; Shoben, E J (1988) Context and structure in conceptual combination. Cogn Psychol 20:158-90
Medin, D L; Edelson, S M (1988) Problem structure and the use of base-rate information from experience. J Exp Psychol Gen 117:68-85
Medin, D L (1986) Comment on ""Memory storage and retrieval processes in category learning"". J Exp Psychol Gen 115:373-81