Full Idea
Instead of regularly producing a prototype out of the exemplars stored in long-term memory, it seems more efficient to extract a prototype from category members during concept learning and to use this prototype when needed.
Gist of Idea
It is more efficient to remember the prototype, than repeatedly create it from exemplars
Source
Edouard Machery (Doing Without Concepts [2009], 6.3.2)
Book Reference
Machery,Edouard: 'Doing Without Concepts' [OUP 2009], p.171
A Reaction
[This is a critique of Barsalou's on-the-fly proposal for prototypes] If the exemplar theory is right, then some sort of summary must occur when faced with a new instance. So this thought favours prototypes against exemplars.