This chapter provides an overview of the essentials of exemplification theory and research. After tracing the evolutionary roots of the exemplification process and considering its ecological ramifications in contemporary society, the theory and pertinent implications are elaborated. The focus is on the representational accuracy of reports of relevant social phenomena and on the heuristic processing of exemplar aggregations in forming assessments of these phenomena. Finally, drawing from research on the influence of news reporting, a sampling of experimental investigations is presented to support the theory.
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