Lecture 8 - Concepts and Categories Flashcards
(lecture):
List 3 things that the meaning of language is influenced by?
(lecture):
See slide 3 on the relevant powerpoint slide.
(lecture):
Define the difference between concepts and categories.
(lecture):
Categories are a set of similar items group together that exist in the real world.
Concepts are a representation of the category.
Various implications of this:
- The concept doesn’t have to match exactly to the category (see slide 6)
(lecture):
Why are concepts important?
(lecture):
- Concepts allow us to make predictions and draw inferences.
(if you see something from far away and don’t know what it is, you could use the characteristics that you can make out to infer what that thing does. (see slide 13)). - Concepts allow for cognitive economy.
(allow us to store lots of stuff relatively efficiently, by fusing them into one) - Concepts allow communication
(use abstract representation of things, so if 2 people talk about tigers they will not have seen the exact same tigers but will understand each other)
(lecture):
Categories can be divided into 3 levels. What are they?
(lecture):
- Superordinate level
Broadest, e.g. animals - Basic level
middle, e.g. cow - Subordinate level
specific, e.g. jersey cow
Psychologically, the basic level seems to be very important to us in a number of ways.
(see slide 17 - you automatically name things at their basic level, e.g. chair)
The basic level is also acquired first developmentally.
It is also recognised the most rapidly.
(see slide 19)
(lecture):
How do we represent categories: defining attributes theory.
What is the support for this theory?
What are the problems for this theory?
(lecture):
Everything has attributes are individually necessary & collectively sufficient for category membership.
e.g. a bachelor is male, and adult, unmarried.
(see slide 22-23)
SUPPORT:
(see slide 24)
PROBLEMS:
(see slide 25-33)
(lecture):
How do we represent categories: prototype theory.
What are the problems for this theory?
(lecture):
(see slide 34)
PROBLEMS:
(see slide 36-37)
(lecture):
How do we represent categories: exemplar theory.
What are the problems for this theory?
(lecture):
(see slide 38-40)
PROBLEMS:
(see slide 41-44)
(lecture):
How do we represent categories: explanation-based theory.
What are the problems for this theory?
(lecture):
(see slide 45-47)
PROBLEMS:
(see slide 48)
(reading):
Braisby, N & Gellatly, A. (2012). Cognitive psychology. Oxford University Press. Chapter 5.
(reading):
Make notes if you want or just read.
(lecture MCQ):
Do the MCQ on the lecture 8 folder for PS2020.
(lecture MCQ):
