PSYB57H3 Chapter 9: b57 - chapter 9 - CONCEPTS AND GENERIC KNOWLEDGE
Document Summary
We need a way of identifying concepts that highlights what the various members of a category have in common while also allowing exceptions to whatever rule we propose. We do this by keeping the content of our definitions but being much more flexible in our use of the definitions. Wittgenstiens family resemblance theory - there is probably no defining feature that every member has. But there are features that are common which allows them to be recognizable as a member of the family. This can also be applied to dogs, games, furniture etc. Prototype theory ; perhaps the best way to identify a category, to characterize a concept, is to specify the centre of the category rather than the boundaries. We do this by using the ideal" dog or the ideal" family member who has all of the family/category"s features. All judgements about dogs are made with reference to this ideal.
