Shared properties between concepts are stored at higher level nodes. In a sense the lower-level nodes "inherit" the properties from higher-level nodes they are connected to. For example we would know a canary and crow can fly, because flight is stored at the node for birds.

Cognitive economy

Nodes are activated when nodes with links to them (or close to them) are activated. The nearby nodes are primed to be retrieved by memory more easily.

Spreading Activation

Concepts and categories are organized in hierarchical networks based on meaning.

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

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Larger more general categories and concepts are at the top and flow into smaller more specific subcategories and concepts creating a hierarchy.

Hierarchical organization

Goldstein, E. B. (2014). Cognitive psychology: Connecting mind, research and everyday experience. Nelson Education.


Cognitive psychology: Connecting mind, research and everyday experience

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

The arrangement of taxonomic ranks into "higher" and "lower" levels according to level of specificity.

Taxonomic hierarchy

According to Rosch, categories can be organized by hierarchical levels based on the size and specificity of the category compared to others it encompasses or is encompassed by. They are said to be broken down into three main levels:
- The global (superordinate)
- The basic
- The specific (subordinate)

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