A probabilistic concept developed in prototype theory. Cue validity is a statistical measure which predicts that a particular cue – or attribute – becomes more valid or relevant to a given category the more frequently it is associated with members of that category. Conversely, a particular attribute becomes less valid or relevant to a category the more frequently it is associated with members of other categories.

Thus, ‘is used for sitting on’ has ‘high cue validity’ for the category chair, but ‘is found in the home’ has low cue validity for the category chair because many other different categories of object can be found in the home in addition to chairs. Cue validity is closely associated with the notion of cognitive economy.