Categorization as a Universal Process: the Role of Categories in Perceptual Processes and Formation of Actions

Abstract

This article is intended to highlight the existing theoretical concepts and empirical data on the role played by different levels of categories in the processes of perception and formation of actions with a person. In this context, we consider several topics, such as: the superiority of base-level categories, the phenomenon of incidental findings, the effects of compatibility and orientation, the role of goals in actions regarding categorization of objects, and some other topics. One of the key examples of the influence of categorization on other cognitive processes is the effect of the superiority of categories of the base level: when deciding whether a given stimulus belongs to a certain category, the answer is faster if the category belongs to the base level compared to superordinate and subordinate. One of the main areas of study of the effect of the advantages of categories of the basic level is the study of the role of this effect in perceptual tasks. One of these tasks is the visual search - the search for target stimuli among distractors. One of these is a guided search - directing attention to certain objects. There are modifications of the visual search - search collection and hybrid search. The belonging of an object to a certain category affects the efficiency of the visual search, as well as the occurrence of perceptual errors. Another important area of study of categorization is to elucidate the relationship between categorization and affordances - perceived possible actions with other objects. Most of these studies focus on the role of categorization in generating compatibility and orientation effects. Finally, this comprehensive study of the relationship between categorization, perception, and affordances mostly occurs as “gaze behavior” in relation to the action that creates clarity in visible objects.