Problem 4: Categorisation Flashcards
What is a concept? And what is the difference between a concept and a category?
A concept is part of a category.
A concept is subjective, somebody’s concept might be different than their category
What was the early definition of a category?
categories are well defined and specific, items can only be members of a category is they possess all the features and vice versa
what are borderline members? What approach to categories would borderline members not fit?
Borderline members are members who are not fully in or out a category.
Borderline members suggest that a category is a continuum instead of very clearly defined –> borderline members do not fit the early approach to categorisation
What is typicality? What members of a category do they specifically influence?
How typical a member of a category is to that category –> borderline members are usually low in typicality
What does the family resemblance theory say about typicality?
the family resemblance theory states that if an item has many frequent features, it will be more typical. Additionally, the item should not have features that are frequent in other categories.
What are the effects of typicality?
The faster you categorise an item, the more typical it usually is.
The more frequent the item is, the more typical it usually is
What are the 3 hierarchical levels of categories?
- basic level of categorisation (not too specific, not too broad)
- subordinate: specific
-superordinate: broad
What is the classical theory of concept representation? What criticisms are there? use fuzzy boundaries
categories are similarity based and categorisation focusses on the required features of a category
Criticism:
- does not include borderline members, the boundaries are clear cut instead of fuzzy
- does not explain why some members are more typical than other members
- categories are unclear, it does not specify when something is necessary and sufficient
What is the prototype theory of concept representation? What method is used to categorise? What are possible criticisms?
Categories are similarity based, a continuum and explain borderline members.
Summary representation is used to categorise, people have a mental representation of a category to categorise items.
Criticisms:
- this explanation is not sensitive to context in typicality, some items of a category are more typical to some contexts than to others
- Dot experiment: the prototypical dot pattern was not shown, even though participants did recall seeing it, which means we make our own prototype of a category without even seeing one
What are weighted features?
Some features are more weighted/typical to a category than others (ex. wings in birds versus beaks in birds)
what is the exemplar theory of categorisation? What about the prototype theory does this theory deny?
What are 3 possible criticisms?
Categorisation occurs based on the exemplars you have seen of a category. When you see a new item you compare it to an exemplar of different categories, the one that is the most similar is chosen.
In this theory, summary representation is denied.
Criticisms:
1. dot experiment: even without an exemplar we still create a prototype
2. it’s too subjective
3. does not explain real world classification
what does the knowledge approach say about learning?
concepts are meant to give us knowledge about the world and help us learn. If concepts make sense and you can make a mental representation, it’s easier to learn and grasp.
what is psychological essentialism? What does it say about categorisation?
The idea that natural things have ‘essence’, and artefacts do not. Essence is passed down through genes, which is not possible in artefacts.
It states that you are either in a category or out
What is the semantic network approach?
The idea that semantic networks work like neuronal networks. Nodes/concepts are interrelated and activated by each other. Knowledge is stored in associative networks.
What is the spreading activation model? What are two ‘laws’ of activation?
It builds on the semantic network approach: if a concept is presented, a node is activated which in turn activates more nodes
‘Laws’:
- the strength of the activation decreases as a function of time and distance
- the more concepts are activated at once, the less activation they all receive
