CHP. 9 - Concepts & Generic Knowledge

Question 1

Concept

Answer 1

building blocks from which all knowledge is created
* can apply general knowledge to new cases

ex. defining what a vegetable is

Question 2

Family resemblance

Answer 2

no defining features shared by all category members
* “characteristic features” showed by most

ex. celebrities looking like their parents

Question 3

Prototype theory

Answer 3

category is characterized by a central member that possesses all the characteristic features

Question 4

Prototype

Answer 4

a single “best example” or average, identifying the “center” of a category

Question 5

Typicality

Answer 5

degree to which a particular case (an object/situation/event) is typical for its kind
* how much they resemble prototype

Question 6

Graded membership

Answer 6

objects close to a prototype are “better” members of the category than those further from it

ex. some dogs are “doggier”, golden retriever v. Chinese crested

Question 7

Effects of sentence verification tasks

(True or false?)

Answer 7

judgements about items that are more distant from the prototype take longer to make

ex. True or False?
Robins are birds v. Penguins are birds

Question 8

Effects of production tasks

(Name as many… as you can)

Answer 8

participants generally name the most typical category members first

ex. Name as many fruits as you can (apple, banana, etc.)

Question 9

Effects of rating tasks

Answer 9

items that are closer to the prototype are rated as more typical of the category

Question 10

Exemplar-based reasoning

Answer 10

drawing on knowledge specific category members rather than on more general, prototypic info about the category
* they’re specific remembered instances

ex. specific examples of dog breeds