short, recognition is easier than recall.

Consequently any theory of recognition that makes it depend on recall
can scarcely be correct. One such theory held that an object is
recognized by recalling its original setting in past experience; an
odor would be recognized by virtue of recalling the circumstances
under which it was formerly experienced. Now sometimes it does happen
that an odor which seems familiar, but cannot be identified, calls up
a past experience and thus is fully recognized; but such "indirect
recognition" is not the usual thing, for direct recognition commonly
takes place before recall of the past experience has time to occur.
You see a person, and know him at once, though it may require some
moments before you can recall where and when you have seen him before.

Recognition may be more or less complete. At its minimum, it is simply
a "feeling of familiarity" with the object; at its maximum it is
locating the object precisely in your autobiography. You see a man,
and say, "He looks {358} familiar, I must have seen him somewhere",
and then it dawns on you, "Oh! yes, now I know exactly who he is; he
is the man who . . ." Between these extremes lie various degrees of
recognition. This man seems to be some one seen recently, or a long,
long time ago, or at the seashore, or as a salesman in a store; or as
some one you looked up to, or felt hostility towards, or were amused
at; and often these impressions turn out to be correct, when you
succeed in fully recognizing the person. These impressions resemble
the first signs of recognition in the baby's behavior; you say that
the baby remembers people because he smiles at one who has pleased him
before, and shrinks from one who has displeased him.

Recognition described in terms of stimulus and response.

Recognition is a form of learned response, depending on previous
reaction to the object recognized. To recognize an object is to
respond to it as we responded before--except for the feeling of
familiarity, which could not occur the first time we saw the object.
But notice this: though the object is the same identical object it was
before, it may have changed somewhat. At least, its setting is
different; this is a different time and perhaps a different place, and
the circumstances are bound to be more or less different. In spite of
this difference in the situation, we make the same response as before.

Now, the response we made to the object in its origi