Glossary / Lexicon

Category refers to a grouping of items sharing one or more similarities; an aggregation of people or things that share some common attribute or are related in some way. Moreover, Category refers to a term Bruner used to describe a grouping of related objects or events. In this sense, a category is both a concept and a percept. Bruner also defines it as a rule for classifying things as equivalent. (See Coding system.)

Description

In psychology, a category refers to a group of objects or concepts that share similar characteristics or attributes. Categories help individuals organize information and make sense of the world around them by grouping related items together. They play a crucial role in cognitive processes such as memory, perception, and decision-making. Categories can be broad, such as animals or furniture, or more specific, like types of birds or kitchen appliances. Understanding how categories are formed and used is essential in studying human cognition and behavior.

Application Areas

• Evaluating cognitive processes
• Improving memory retention
• Assessing decision-making abilities
• Studying problem-solving strategies
• Developing educational materials for better learning

Treatment and Risks

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy to address categorization issues
• Risks of cognitive biases affecting categorization accuracy
• Psychological interventions for individuals struggling with categorization deficits

Examples

• Fruit categories: apples, oranges, bananas
• Color categories: red, blue, green
• Animal categories: mammals, birds, reptiles

Similar Concepts and Synonyms

• Classification
• Taxonomy
• Grouping
• Sorting

Articles with 'Category' in the title

• Category format: Category format refers to a rating-scale format that usually uses the categories 1 to 10. In psychology, the term "category format" refers to a method of organizing information or data into categories or groups based on shared . . .
• Category typicality: Category typicality refers to the idea that some items are more representative of the category prototype than others. Items that are highly typical of a category have more features in common with the category prototype than do less typical . . .
• Category-based expectancies: Category-based expectancies : Category-based expectancies refer to expectations about people based on the groups to which they belong, such as expecting someone to love going to parties because he or she belongs to a party-loving . . .
• Category prototype: Category prototype: Category prototype refers to an abstract representation of a category, reflecting the central tendency, or "best example,'' of a category
• Category-size effect: Category-size effect refers to the fact that it takes longer to semantically verify a statement of the form An A is a B if B is a larger semantic category
• Category-specific dissociations: Category-specific dissociations is a term used in Aphasia that refers to the selective inability to retrieve certain categories of words, such as fruits or vegetables, while retaining the ability to recognize and use other word categories
• Foundational category: Foundational category is a term in Cognitive development which refers to a fundamental mental classification, such as the distinction between human beings and inanimate objects

Weblinks

• top500.de: 'Category' in the glossary of the top500.de
• travel-glossary.com: 'Category' in the travel-glossary.com
• quality-database.eu: 'Category' in the glossary of the quality-database.eu

Summary

In psychology, categories are groups of objects or concepts with similar attributes that aid in cognitive processes. They are fundamental in organizing information, reasoning, and decision-making. Understanding how categories work is essential for studying human cognition and behavior.

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