Similarity (psychology) facts for kids

When we talk about similarity in how our minds work (this is called cognitive psychology), we mean how people group things or ideas together. Our brains naturally put similar things into the same categories. Many psychologists study the rules people use to decide if two things are alike.

How Scientists Study Similarity

Scientists use different ways to understand how we decide if things are similar. They want to know the "rules" our brains follow.

Using Computers to Model Thinking

One cool way psychologists study similarity is by using computer models. Imagine scientists ask people to rate how similar different objects are. For example, they might ask if a "cat" and a "dog" are very similar or just a little similar.

Then, they write a computer program that tries to give the same answers as the humans. If a person says "cat" and "dog" are similar, the computer model should also connect those words. The computer does this by looking at many real-world texts, called a corpus. It learns how words are used together.

If the computer model can correctly guess which words or objects are similar, it means the rules the computer uses might be the same rules our brains use! This helps scientists understand our thinking better.

Watching What People Do

Another way psychologists learn about similarity is by watching people in special situations. This is called an experiment.

For example, they might ask people to:

• List words that are similar to each other.
• Use categories to help them learn new words.
• Sort different objects into groups.
• Do other tasks where they compare things.

By seeing how fast people do these tasks, or how many mistakes they make, psychologists can figure out the rules people use to decide if things are similar.

What Makes Two Things Seem Similar?

People use different ideas to decide if two things are similar. Here are some of them:

• Features: If two things have the same parts or qualities, people might say they are similar. For example, coins and wheels are similar because they are both round. Other features could be shape, how something feels (texture), what it's made of (material), color, weight, size, or temperature.
• Functions: If two things are used for the same reasons, people often think they are similar. For instance, cars and airplanes are similar because they both help us travel.
• Hierarchy: If one thing is a smaller part of a larger thing, they can seem similar. Think of a foot and a leg – a foot is part of a leg, so they are related.
• Phonetics: If the words for two things sound alike, or if they start with the same sounds, people might say the things are similar.
• Transformation: If one thing can easily change into another, either in real life or in our minds, they might seem similar. A seed is similar to a plant because a seed grows into a plant. A toy car is similar to a real car because it's a smaller version.