CATEGORY TYPICALITY EFFECTS IN EPISODIC MEMORY - TESTING MODELS OF DISTINCTIVENESS

Category typicality effects were investigated within the context of th ree models of distinctiveness: a univariate model, a fixed-multifeatur e model, and a weighted-multifeature model. High-typical, medium-typic al, and atypical targets were embedded in lists containing a backgroun d set of medium-to high-typicality items. Atypical items were more poo rly recalled than were medium- and high-typical items independently of list structure. In recognition, subjects who studied high-typical ite ms had difficulty discriminating between high-typical items that were and were not presented as part of the list. However, item typicality h ad little effect on the recognition performance of subjects who did no t study high-typical items. These findings were consistent with the we ighted-multifeature model of distinctiveness.