Single Idea 17977

[catalogued under 18. Thought / D. Concepts / 4. Structure of Concepts / e. Concepts from exemplars]

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]