ANCHOR: A Memory-Based Model of Category Rating

Abstract:

This paper attempts to draw a bridge between psychophysics and memory research by proposing a memory-based model of category rating. The model is based on the cognitive architecture ACT-R and uses anchors stored in memory that serve as prototypes for the stimuli classified within a response category. The anchors are retrieved by a partial matching mechanism and updated dynamically by an incremental learning mechanism. Anchors also have base-level activations that reflect the frequency and recency of the responses. These mechanisms give rise to sequential effects and nonuniform response distributions. A psychological experiment involving category rating of physical length is reported and the predictions of the model are compared against the empirical data. The psychophysical implications of the model are discussed.

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