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MENTAL MODEL · M4135

Exemplar Theory

Exemplar Theory
Learn & MetacognitionHigh supportCognitive Psychology
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-28

CORE DEFINITION

Exemplar theory is a proposal concerning the way humans categorize objects and ideas in psychology. It argues that individuals make category judgments by comparing new stimuli with instances already stored in memory. The instance stored in memory is the "exemplar". The new stimulus is assigned to a category based on the greatest number of similarities it holds with exemplars in that category.

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psychology

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Exemplar theory is a proposal concerning the way humans categorize objects and ideas in psychology. It argues that individuals make category judgments by comparing new stimuli with instances already stored in memory. The instance stored in memory is the "exemplar". The new stimulus is assigned to a category based on the greatest number of similarities it holds with exemplars in that category.

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Category judgments rely on comparison with specific exemplars in memory rather than abstract rules: the more similar a new object is to known exemplars, the more likely it is to be classified into that category. Classification is similarity retrieval.

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Source support: Explicit

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    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exemplar_theoryZH · Explicit
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