PSYCH207 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Arbitrariness, Jerry Fodor, Hemispatial Neglect

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYCH207
• Professor: Jonathan Fugelsang

Document Summary

Category membership determined by a set of defining (necessary and sufficient) properties. Works for simple things but falls apart in complex categories. Assumes that: concepts are not representations of specific examples but a list of characteristics, membership in a category is clear-cut: either in or out / all or none. Problems with classical view: (1) no defining features for many natural-kind categories, (2) typicality (graded membership, eleanor rosch et al. (1973, result: people judge (cid:373)e(cid:373)(cid:271)e(cid:396)s of a (cid:272)atego(cid:396)(cid:455) as diffe(cid:396)i(cid:374)g i(cid:374) (cid:862)good(cid:374)ess(cid:863, the prototype view. Basic-level categories with related superordinate and subordinate categories. Problems with prototypes: (1) variable categories, does not specify clear constraints, (2) typicality and context. Pros of the exemplar view: discards less information than prototypes, explains, wh(cid:455) defi(cid:374)itio(cid:374)s do(cid:374)"t (cid:449)o(cid:396)k, there are no definitions, just instances, typicality, objects that are like more of the exemplars stored in memory are classified faster.