COMPARING EXEMPLAR AND PROTOTYPE MODELS OF CATEGORIZATION

Five experiments contrasted the prototype and exemplar theories of cat egorization, The stimuli for the experiments were simple perceptual fi gures that varied along two multi-valued dimensions. During the learni ng phase of each experiment, participants assigned each of a series of stimuli to one of two categories and received feedback concerning the ir assignments. During the generalization phase, participants made cat egory judgments with respect to novel stimuli, including some crucial test stimuli that were (a) more similar to the prototype of one of the two categories, and at the same time, (b) more similar, on average, t o the exemplars of the other category. Participants assigned the test stimuli to the latter category. This was taken as evidence favoring th e exemplar over the prototype theory.