Categories and Concepts

Question 1

What are the 2 cognitive mechanisms that allow us to differentiate smell, colours, etc?

Answer 1

Attention and Memory

Question 2

What is Attention?

Answer 2

Helps you focus finite mental resources on key parts of the active scene. The ability to to actively process specific information in the environment

Question 3

What is Memory

Answer 3

Helps you recall specific thoughts and behaviours that are appropriate to your current needs

Question 4

What are the 3 functions of categorization?

Answer 4

classification, understanding and communication

Question 5

Classification

Answer 5

the ability to treat objects that appear differently as belonging together

Question 6

Understanding

Answer 6

the ability to evaluate a situation and act appropriately based on prior experience

Question 7

Communication

Answer 7

the ability to describe complex ideas or objects using a single label. Using category names allows for efficient communication

Question 8

Example of classification

Answer 8

Apples have different colours, but by categorizing them as apples you assume they are safe to eat

Question 9

Example of classification

Answer 9

Apples have different colours, but by categorizing them as apples you assume they are safe to eat

Question 10

Illusion of the expert

Answer 10

The feeling that something must be simple because you’re good at it

Question 11

True or False: It is easier to define rules of classification than to actually classify

Answer 11

False. It is difficult to define rules and easier to classify objects

Question 12

What is a prototype theory

Answer 12

We categorize objects by comparing them to an internal best representation of a given theory (prototype)

Question 13

Prototypes are formed from______

Answer 13

Experience and can be very personal

Question 14

What is an evidence that prototype theory can’t explain all findings

Answer 14

The inner prototypes are not constant. They can change over time

Question 15

Exemplar theory

Answer 15

We categorize objects by comparing them to every previously stored experience(exemplar) in a given category

Question 16

In an experiment, where doctors where shown skin diseases would the inclusion of a single exemplar two weeks earlier improve their accuracy?

Answer 16

yes, thanks to exemplar theory. They are more affected by a single RECENT example as opposed to the entirety of their experiences. Prototype theory would suggest that showing the pictures doesn’t change anything.

Question 17

Which theory allows us to explain why we respond faster to more representative objects?

Answer 17

Prototype and Exemplar theory

Question 18

Which theory can explain why a single encounter changes categorization patterns?

Answer 18

Exemplar theory

Question 19

Spotlight model of attention

Answer 19

Suggest that humans have an attentional spotlight that focuses on part of the environment at one time to the exclusion of the rest of the visual scene.

Question 20

how can children apply categories?

Answer 20

they have the ability to determine category membership( knows her dog is in the category of all dogs) and they understand innate properties of given categories(can’t change nature of animals, but yes of objects)

Question 21

Evidence that shows that animals can categorize objects

Answer 21

Baboons where taught to classify objects as food or non-food