Cognitive Psychology Concepts - Categorization

The Exemplar Approach

• Typicality Effect: The exemplar approach effectively explains the typicality effect, which refers to the finding that people are faster to categorize typical members of a category than atypical ones.

• Atypical Cases: It easily accommodates atypical cases, as it doesn't rely on a single prototype but rather on a collection of exemplars.

• Variable Categories: The exemplar approach can handle variable categories, where members may not share many common features.

Hierarchical Organization (Categories)

• Levels of Categories: Categories are organized hierarchically, with three levels:

  • Global (Superordinate): The most general level (e.g., Furniture, Vehicle).

  • Basic: A psychologically privileged level (e.g., Chair, Car).

  • Specific (Subordinate): The most specific level (e.g., Dining Table, Racing Bicycle).

• Rosch's Evidence: Rosch provided evidence for the psychological privilege of the basic level.

The Exemplar Approach: Similarity and Difference

• Similarity to Prototype View:

  • Category representation is not about defining it with necessary and sufficient features.

• Difference from Prototype View:

  • Representation is not abstract; it consists of descriptions of specific examples (exemplars).

• Family Resemblance Effect: The more similar a specific exemplar is to a known category member, the faster it will be categorized. This is known as the family resemblance effect.

Prototypes vs. Exemplars

• Combined Use: Both prototypes and exemplars may be used in categorization.

• Category Size:

  • Exemplars may work best for small categories.

  • Prototypes may work best for larger categories.

Hierarchical Organization: Factors Influencing Categorization

• Factors to Consider: To fully understand how people categorize objects, one must consider:

  • Properties of objects.

  • Learning and experience of perceivers.