Age of acquisition in face categorisation: is there an instance-based account?

An instance-based model of the effects of age of acquisition (AoA) is offer ed and derived predictions are considered. A face-categorisation experiment is reported which tested these predictions. Nine participants made speeded -categorisation judgements of 185 faces from two TV shows. Ratings were giv en for the faces' frequency of occurrence in the shows and, for each face, the length of time the character was in the show and the time since they ha d left was found. Regression analyses were used to find how the factors aff ected the speed of categorisation. Speed of categorisation was found to fol low a negative power function of the frequency and time on the show and a p ositive power function of the time since they had left, This was supportive of the instance-based account and suggests that effects of AoA with words and objects can be explained in terms of cumulative frequency. (C) 1999 Els evier Science B.V. All rights reserved.