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Open Access Publications from the University of California

A Model of Natual Category Structure and its Behavioral Implecations

Abstract

Fisher (1988) uses the COBWEB concept formation system to illustrate a computational unification of basic level and typicality effects. The model relies on probabiUstic, distributed concept representations, and appropriate interaction between cue and category validity. W e review this work and report a new account of the fan effect. This extension requires an additional assumption of parallel processing, but otherwise is explained by precisely the same mechemisms as basic level and typicality phenomena.