Editing Cognitive categorization (section)

{{short description|Organization of mental concepts}}
{{for|categorization in general|Classification}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2021}}
{{Information science}}

'''Categorization''' is a type of [[cognition]] involving conceptual differentiation between characteristics of conscious [[experience]], such as [[Object (philosophy)|objects]], events, or [[idea]]s. It involves the [[abstraction]] and differentiation of aspects of experience by sorting and distinguishing between groupings, through [[classification]] or [[typification]]<ref name="Croft2004ch4"/><ref>{{Cite book |title=Formal Approaches in Categorization |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |year=2011 |isbn=9780521190480 |editor-last=Pothos |editor-first=Emmanuel M. |pages=1 |chapter=Introduction |editor-last2=Wills |editor-first2=Andy J.}}</ref> on the basis of traits, features, similarities or other criteria that are [[Universal (metaphysics)|universal]] to the group. Categorization is considered one of the most fundamental [[cognitive abilities]], and it is studied particularly by [[psychology]] and [[cognitive linguistics]].

Categorization is sometimes considered synonymous with classification (cf., [[Classification (general theory)#Synonyms and near-synonyms|Classification synonyms]]). Categorization and classification allow humans to organize things, objects, and ideas that exist around them and simplify their understanding of the world.<ref name=":0">{{Citation |last1=McGarty |first1=Craig |title=Social Categorization |date=2015 |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/B9780080970868240919 |encyclopedia=International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences |pages=186–191 |publisher=Elsevier |language=en |doi=10.1016/b978-0-08-097086-8.24091-9 |isbn=978-0-08-097087-5 |access-date=2022-11-10 |last2=Mavor |first2=Kenneth I. |last3=Skorich |first3=Daniel P.|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Categorization is something that humans and other organisms ''do'': "doing the right thing with the right '''''kind''''' of thing." The activity of categorizing things can be nonverbal or verbal. For humans, both concrete objects and abstract ideas are recognized, differentiated, and understood through categorization. Objects are usually categorized for some adaptive or pragmatic purposes.

Categorization is [[symbol grounding problem|grounded]] in the features that distinguish the category's members from nonmembers. Categorization is important in learning, prediction, [[inference]], [[decision making]], language, and many forms of organisms' interaction with their environments.