Kind-Of Relationship

In psychology, a kind-of relationship indicates that a concept has some or all of the significant characteristics of a category but the object can best be described as some other category.

Kind-of relationships are important where a system will display objects that possess attributes and behaviors that are multiply inherited.

Example: Seaplane is a plane and is a kind of boat.

If fitting a seaplane into concept categories people will classify a seaplane as a plane (aircraft). At the same time people will note that the seaplane shares many properties in common with a boat.

One way to think of it is that the seaplane spends most of its active life as a plane and makes a much better plane than boat—that is, its fit to plane's characteristics are much better than its fit to boat characteristics.

Last Modified January 2003. Send your comments?

©2002, 2003 John M. Artim