Surface similarity-based retrieval: in default or by default?

Analogical reasoning is generally considered as a central component of human cognition. However, the respective role of surface and structural similarities in driving access to an analog representation - also called analogical retrieval - is a matter of current debate in the literature. In the present paper, we review the different theories on analogical retrieval before introducing the necessity to consider the role of prior knowledge in encoding to provide a complete account of analogical retrieval. It is shown that encoding is not focused on the surface by default, but rather in default of having sufficient knowledge to process the structure: structural similarities play a major influence on analogical retrieval when they refer to familiar concepts.