Chapter 9: Concepts & generic knowledge

Question 1

Propositional networks/local representations

Answer 1

localist, each node is equivalent to 1 concept

Question 2

Connectionist networks

Answer 2

distributed, information follows a pattern of activation and processing is parallel

Question 3

family resemblance

Answer 3

members of a category have a family resemblance to each other. There are based on the ideal member typical properties for the family but they do not define the family. Another member is called an Atypical member.

Question 4

prototype theory

Answer 4

has all the properties/characteristic features of a category, each member can have more or less of these properties. This is the central member. Categorisation means comparing the new object to this prototype.

Question 5

examplar/instance theory

Answer 5

Specific category members are compared with new object. Reasoning based on knowledge of specific category members instead of more general knowledge as in prototype.

Question 6

graded membership

Answer 6

Categoristion is not binair (dichotomous) but graded (fuzzy boundaries).

Question 7

sentence verification task

Answer 7

determining if a sentence is true or false

Question 8

production task

Answer 8

ask for as many dogs/flowers etc people can think of

Question 9

typicality

Answer 9

effect: the more a-typical an object is the more difficult categorisation becomes. Typicality also influences judgements about attractiveness.

Question 10

rating task

Answer 10

rate birds based on how birdly they are

Question 11

basic-level categorization

Answer 11

there is a base level we use in speaking (ex. Chair instead of furniture or wooden desk chair). These base levels are learned first in children.

Question 12

anomia

Answer 12

loses the ability to name certain objects

Question 13

propositions

Answer 13

The smallest unit of knowledge that can be either true or false. Propositions are often expressed via simple sentences, but this is merely a convenience; other modes of representation are available.

Question 14

connection weight

Answer 14

The strength of a connection between two nodes in a network. The greater the connection weight, the more efficiently activation will flow from one node to the other.

Question 15

parallel distributed processing (PDP)

Answer 15

A system of handling information in which many steps happen at once (i.e., in parallel) and in which various aspects of the problem or task are represented only in a distributed way.

Question 16

Why is categorisation of common/prototypical objects faster?

Answer 16

Common object have higher activation because of higher frequency and recency

Question 17

What does show that experts still use exemplars?

Answer 17

Experts are better when they have recently encountered a disease, so still use exemplars. But more often prototypical knowledge.