Abstract
Accurate classification of new exemplars in an abstraction paradigm may be due to their similarity to old exemplars rather than to abstract category (or prototype) knowledge. In the present study, subjects received initial training on a two-category problem before being transferred to a task in which half of the exemplar-response pairs had their responses reversed while the remaining half of the pairs were unchanged. When transfer occurred with no delay and involved old exemplars, more errors occurred for changed than for unchanged pairs. This result implies the use of exemplar-specific rather than abstract category knowledge. However, when transfer was delayed by 24 or 72 h, errors occurred equally often for changed and unchanged pairs. This result suggests that exemplar-specific knowledge is no longer used. Since subjects were still able to accurately classify exemplars prior to the transfer task at these delays, some form of abstract category knowledge is implicated.
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This research was supported by a grant from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Emory University
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Robbins, D., Barresi, J., Compton, P. et al. The genesis and use of exemplar vs. prototype knowledge in abstract category learning. Memory & Cognition 6, 473–480 (1978). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03197481
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03197481