What’s the term for a mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas, or people?

The term that refers to a mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas, or people is "concept." Concepts enable individuals to organize and simplify their understanding of the world by categorizing information into general ideas or abstractions. For instance, the concept of "fruit" encompasses various items like apples, oranges, and bananas, allowing us to recognize and understand the similarities they share while distinguishing them from other types of food.

While the terms prototype, schema, and categorization are related to how we process and understand information, they serve slightly different roles. A prototype is the best or most typical example of a category, while a schema is a cognitive framework that helps organize and interpret information based on previous experiences. Categorization is the process of sorting items into categories, and while it involves concepts, it does not define the term itself.