Does functional knowledge activation occur via access to the basic categories?

An approach focused on reaction time

Abstract

Categories broader than the basic categories (e.g., pens) are referred to as superordinate categories (e.g., stationery). Broader categories that reflect the function of an object (e.g., things to write with) are recognized faster than superordinate categories. However, previous studies did not reveal the process of activation for functional categories. This study aimed to examine the relationship between stimulus presentation time and recognition of a functional category. We conducted a category verification task in which we manipulated the time of the stimulus presentation and the category level to clarify the process of the activation of functional category recognition. The results of the reaction time analysis confirmed the superiority of the functional category as compared to the superordinate category. However, there were no interactions between presentation time and category conditions; the time taken to process the stimuli had no effect on the activation of the category. This suggests that the activation of knowledge about man-made objects occurs in parallel, and access for broader categories does not necessarily have to occur via activation of the basic category.