Category variability or diversity is an important factor influencing generalization. However, expectations of category variability may not only depend on the variability of encountered category members but may also be shaped by prior experiences with similar categories. In this study, we investigated whether we could influence category generalization by inducing different category representations in an "A, Non-A" categorization task: Participants either learned about a homogeneous category Non-A or a diverse category Non-A during a priming phase. In order to better understand the transfer process, we varied the nature of the learning phase from implicit transfer to explicit instructions that actively requested that participants use their prior experiences. We found that while with a homogeneous Non-A representation, generalization of the A and Non-A categories was equal, the generalization of category Non-A widened after a priming phase with a diverse representation. In a second experiment, we found that the widening of generalization of category Non-A occurred when the exemplars in this category were themselves diverse (feature-diverse condition) but not when the category contained distinct exemplars (exemplar-diverse condition). These results suggests that categorization is influenced by previous categorization experiences possibly altering the representation of a category. Further, the study gives a hint what kind of heterogeneity is needed to observe the commonly reported broader generalization of diverse categories. The finding has implications not only to understand the influence of prior experiences on category learning, but any cognitive process that hinges on generalization.