Abandoning a label doesn't make it disappear: The perseverance of labeling effects

► We explore if labeling effects continue even after labels are abandoned. ► Participants judge similarity of drawings of female body types with and without labels. ► Silhouettes sharing the same label are perceived as more similar than those having different labels. ► When the labels are removed, the labeling effects are diminished but they persist. ► It did not matter whether the labels are simply abandoned or had their validity challenged.