Full Idea
In the exemplar view of concepts, the idea that people have a representation that somehow encompasses an entire concept is rejected. ...Instead a person's concept of dogs is the set of dogs that the person remembers.
Gist of Idea
The exemplar view of concepts says 'dogs' is the set of dogs I remember
Source
Gregory L. Murphy (The Big Book of Concepts [2004], Ch. 3)
Book Reference
Murphy,Gregory L.: 'The Big Book of Concepts' [MIT 2004], p.49
A Reaction
[The theory was introduced by Medin and Schaffer 1978] I think I have finally met a plausible theory of concepts. When I think 'dog' I conjure up a fuzz of dogs that exhibit the range I have encountered (e.g. tiny to very big). Individuals come first!
Related Ideas
Idea 17976 Prototypes are unified representations of the entire category (rather than of members) [Murphy]
Idea 17981 Children using knowing and essentialist categories doesn't fit the exemplar view [Murphy]