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Psychological Phenomena

Accentuation Effect

Memory Biases and Effects

The accentuation effect occurs when something is placed into a category: the differences between separate categories are then exaggerated in perception, while the differences within a single category are minimized. Memory for anything that can be categorized is subject to the accentuation effect, in which the remembered version is distorted toward a typical example of its category.

Facts
Core Claim
Once something is placed into a category, differences between categories are exaggerated and differences within categories are minimised. 1
Classification
Type of Phenomenon
Cognitive Phenomenon 1
Sources
1. Accentuation effect (Wikipedia)
  • Lead section
    Accentuation effect occurs when something (be it a person, place or thing) is placed into a category. The differences between the categories are then exaggerated, and differences within the categories themselves are minimised.
  • lead section, phenomenon-kind classification
    Memory of anything that can be categorized is subject to an accentuation effect in which the memory is distorted toward typical examples.
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