Face categorization, graded priming, and the mediating influences of similarity

Two experiments are reported that contrast instance-based and abstraction-b ased models of categorization within a priming paradigm. In both experiment s, target person photos were preceded by prime photos that varied in their degree of similarity to the target photo to test how inter-item similarity influences gender and race categorization efficiency of the target photo. R esults consistently indicate that, the more similar the prime item is to th e target item, the greater the facilitation of categorical processing. The findings are robust across race and gender question types, independent of p erceiver group membership. The results support the conclusion that categori cal judgments are at least partially mediated by specific item comparisons. The findings are discussed for their relevance to models of priming and fo r models of person perception and decision making.