Age-Related Degree and Criteria Differences in Semantic Categorization.

Individual differences in semantic categorization are commonplace. Individuals apply a word like SPORTS to different instances because they employ different conditions for category membership (vagueness in criteria) or because they differ regarding the extent to which they feel the term can be applied given fixed conditions (vagueness in degree). Three individuals may, for instance, disagree as to whether and are SPORTS, because one believes SPORTS are competitive in nature, while the other two require SPORTS to be effortful (vagueness in criteria).