Relationships between typicality, category membership, and familiarity: A study using proactive interference

The dimensions of categorization have been mainly investigated by means of explicit judgments. However, an important part of our categorization proces ses is unconscious and implicit. The role of typicality, category membershi p, and familiarity in categorization was explored using a proactive interfe rence (PI) buildup and release paradigm that provides a situation closer to these characteristics. The main PI-release results showed that both typica lity and familiarity contribute to item differentiation (Experiments 1A, 1B , 2A & 2B). The main PI-buildup results showed differentiation between the effects of typicality and category membership, with the latter being greate r (Experiment 3). The results are discussed by considering the nature of co ncept representation, and the possible contribution of various dimensions t o the conceptual structure of categories.