Concepts and Categorisation Flashcards
What is a concept?
Tells us what makes something a member of a category
What are Feature Theories of concepts?
Sets of conditions are stored as lists of features
What do Network Theories of concepts suggest?
Concepts are stored in networks with IS and HAS links
What did Rosch observe about typicality?
Typical members of categories are processed more easily than atypical members
What does prototype theory suggest about concepts?
Concepts are represented by prototypes; the category membership of an object is determined by which prototype it is closest to
What are 3 limitations of Prototype Theory?
- Does not explain conceptual combination
- Does not explain ad hoc concepts
- Does not explain mathematical concepts; not defined by prototypes
What does Murphy and Medin’s (1985) Theory Theory suggest?
Everyday concepts are defined by their place in lay theories about the world and how it works
What does Rosch et al (1976) propose about basic level categories?
In a hierarchy, concepts at one level are the easiest to deal with; features of one type of object have a strong correlational structure, which is different from that of other types of object.
Name 3 types of concept
- Concrete nouns (natural kinds, artefacts)
- Abstract concepts (scientific, social)
- Verb concepts (events, states, processes)
- Link concepts
What does Lakoff and Johnson’s (1980) ‘Metaphors we live by’ suggest?
Abstract concepts are understood via networks of metaphorical links to concrete concepts
Pulvermuller et al (2005) looked at brain activity in relation to embodiment and the motor cortex; what did they do/find?
- Applied TMS to motor areas
- Faster reactions to leg-related words with leg region stimulation (same for arms)
- Suggests language is not modular/abstract but an integrated part of experience
What is Glenberg and Kaschak’s (2002) Action Compatibility Effect (ACE)?
When the action required to respond is compatible with the action described, responses are quicker than for opposite pairings.
Pecher et al (2010) investigated embodied cognition; what did they find?
Responses were slower when the type of word didn’t match the expected position (top for sky words, bottom for ocean words)
What did Zwaan et al (2002) find in their study of embodied cognition and shape imagery?
Slower reaction time when perceptual property of image representation inconsistent with perceptual property in text.
Connell and Lynott (2009) investigated embodied language and colour; what did they do?
- participants read sentence implying particular colour for target e.g. brown/white bear
- asked to name colour of target word (Stroop-like task)
