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Single Idea 17985
[filed under theme 18. Thought / D. Concepts / 4. Structure of Concepts / d. Concepts as prototypes
]
Full Idea
Our theory of concepts must be primarily prototype-based. That is, it must be a description of an entire concept, with its typical features (presumably weighted by their importance).
Gist of Idea
Prototypes theory of concepts is best, as a full description with weighted typical features
Source
Gregory L. Murphy (The Big Book of Concepts [2004], Ch.13)
Book Ref
Murphy,Gregory L.: 'The Big Book of Concepts' [MIT 2004], p.488
A Reaction
This is to be distinguished from the discredited 'classical' view of concepts, that the concept consists of its definition. I take Aristotle's account of definition to be closer to a prototype description than to a dictionary definition.
The
22 ideas
with the same theme
[concepts as built around typical examples of things]:
12622
|
Many concepts lack prototypes, and complex prototypes aren't built from simple ones
[Fodor]
|
12659
|
Maybe stereotypes are a stage in concept acquisition (rather than a by-product)
[Fodor]
|
12660
|
One stereotype might be a paradigm for two difference concepts
[Fodor]
|
15688
|
Categories are characterized by distance from a prototype
[Gelman]
|
17975
|
There is no 'ideal' bird or dog, and prototypes give no information about variability
[Murphy]
|
17976
|
Prototypes are unified representations of the entire category (rather than of members)
[Murphy]
|
18691
|
The prototype theory uses observed features, but can't include their construction
[Murphy]
|
17983
|
The prototype theory handles hierarchical categories and combinations of concepts well
[Murphy]
|
17985
|
Prototypes theory of concepts is best, as a full description with weighted typical features
[Murphy]
|
17986
|
Learning concepts is forming prototypes with a knowledge structure
[Murphy]
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11132
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The prototype theory is probabilistic, picking something out if it has sufficient of the properties
[Margolis/Laurence]
|
11133
|
Prototype theory categorises by computing the number of shared constituents
[Margolis/Laurence]
|
11134
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People don't just categorise by apparent similarities
[Margolis/Laurence]
|
11135
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Complex concepts have emergent properties not in the ingredient prototypes
[Margolis/Laurence]
|
11136
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Many complex concepts obviously have no prototype
[Margolis/Laurence]
|
18594
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Knowing typical properties of things is especially useful in induction
[Machery]
|
18593
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The term 'prototype' is used for both typical category members, and the representation
[Machery]
|
18595
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Prototype theories are based on computation of similarities with the prototype
[Machery]
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18596
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Prototype theorists don't tell us how we select the appropriate prototype
[Machery]
|
18603
|
Maybe concepts are not the typical properties, but the ideal properties
[Machery]
|
18605
|
It is more efficient to remember the prototype, than repeatedly create it from exemplars
[Machery]
|
18606
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The prototype view predicts that typical members are easier to categorise
[Machery]
|