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For many years PETRA has developed a computer tool around the categorization of sounds. This development has resulted in TCL-LabX, a tool that allows the execution of free sorting task in psychoacoustics context. This software has recently upgraded (in collaboration with CerCo Lab, UMR5549) to allow the categorization of small images, and possibly to combine sounds and images in the same experiment as well.
The free sorting task is a relatively new paradigm in cognitive psychology and it’s growing. This paradigm provides answers to theoretical questions concerning the principles of prototypes and typicality (Dubois, 1993, 2000) and can be applied to sensory analysis (both in sound and in other areas). Since a few years, this type of work makes it possible to identify both the categorical structures as well as the categorical principles and properties organization of the categories of complex objects still little known (such as urban soundscapes). These sorts of task are used in addition to “standard” tests or when the analytical paradigms of psychophysics and cognitive psychology fail to answer.
Recently, this scientifique tool has been tested on various psychoacoustics applications for which conventional procedures proved to be irrelevant and in which we lack solutions. This is the case for example in the medical community for the evaluation of environmental sound perception of cochlear implants patients.
For now, regarding the analysis of data (which are usually the classes of objects produced by the participants), some statistical procedures are used (eg tree representation and consensus partition). If there have been recently some compilations of these solutions in statistics (Faye, Courcoux, Qannari, & Giboreau, 2011) and some reflections based both in mathematics and psychology (3rd Workshop on LAM-Free INCAS3 sorting tasks and Measures of similarities: On Some structural and formal properties and categories, Paris 2011), it’s highly desirable to have a range of effective mathematical and statistical solutions (the mathematical toolbox). Indeed, this “mathematical toolbox” would allow researchers to have a set of elements that would enable them to make explicit
the assumptions and constraints of different treatments for the types of data and allow them to tailor treatments regard to the specific needs related to specific applications of the methodology .
Therefore, the aim of this worshop is:
1. to show, through examples of previous research, different fields of applications of this method
2. to propose an efficient mathematical toolbox for the treatment of partitions, not only to meet the needs to the most accurate science, but also the needs of the industrial world, sensory analysis and medical field.
Day organization
After a brief introduction, the day will have three parts:
1. short presentations of the scope of the free sorting task, in different perceptual modalities
2. short examples of some identified mathematical solutions
3. discussions about these solutions and questions in relation with the balance between procedures and applications. We can also address questions concerning the transfer of a particular modality (eg acoustics) to other terms or multimodality
If you want to participate
We would be glad to see you take part in this day to:
• a short presentation on a specific application of the free sorting task (in any sensory field);
• and/or a presentation of one (or more) mathematical solution(s);
• and/or just a discussion with us on the theme of the day;
• and/or your participation to the upcoming discussions.
Location: Toulouse, Toulouse II – Le Mirail University
To join us or to contact us, please send an e-mail to petra@univ-tlse2.fr.
References
Dubois, D. (1993). Sémantique et cognition – Catégories, prototypes, typicalité. Paris: CNRS.
Dubois, D. (2000). Categories as acts of meaning: the case of categories in olfaction and audition. Cognitive Science Quartely, 1 , 35–68.
Faye, P., Courcoux, P., Qannari, E., & Giboreau, A. (2011). Méthodes de traitement statistique des données issues d’une épreuve de tri libre. MODULAD(43), 1–24.