PSYCH 351A - FINAL MATERIAL CONDENSED SET
1. What is the definitional approach and defining features for categorization?-
: A way of determining category membership based on whether the objects meets the definition of the category
A defining feature(s) is a feature(s) that any object must have to be a category member; they are necessary and sufficient
conditions
2. Using the definitional approach, what are the defining features of a square, and what does that tell us about
this approach?: A square would have a closed figure, 4 equal length sides, and 90 degree angles
This tells us that the definitional approach can work for certain, abstract constructed categories
3. Using the definitional approach, what are the defining features of a chair, and what does that tell us about
this approach?: Does a chair have or need 4 legs? Does it need legs? What about the back? Is a seat a chair?
These questions tell us that the definitional approach doesn't work so well for everyday categories since its defining featu
are too rigid
4. What is the prototype approach for categorization?: It uses family resem- blance, so things in a category
resemble one another in a number of ways
5. For the prototype approach for categorization what is a prototype? What are characteristic features?: An
average of category members encountered in the past and is an abstract representation of the "typical" member of a
category
Characteristic features are features that objects in the category typically have, they are usually the most salient features of
the category
6. Rosch (1975) had participants rate each category member on how well it represents the category title on a
scale of 1-7. 1 = very good example (high prototypically) and 7 = very poor category (low prototypicality).
What were the results?: Participants rated thing as more prototypical based on how many characteristic features it
has
For example when asked about the category of birds participants would say a sparrow is more prototypical than a bat
7. What was the conclusion by Rosch (1975) studying prototypicality: Some objects are more prototypical of a
category than others, i.e, they more closely resemble the prototype
, PSYCH 351A - FINAL MATERIAL CONDENSED SET
8. What makes an object more or less prototypical?: When items share many features with other items in the
category, the family resemblance of these items is high, so therefore are rated as more prototypical of that category
9. Rosch & Mervis (1975) "family resemblance" experiment had participants told to list as many characteristics
and attributes they felt are common amongst the presented objects. For example; "dog" - four legs, barks, fur,
chases cat, tail. Explain the results: They found that there was a strong positive relationship between prototypicality
and family resemblance, so when items share many features with other items in the category, the family resemblance of
these items is high, and they are rated more prototypically since they share characteristic features
10.Does prototypically affect performance?: Yes, prototypical objects take less time to respond to than less
prototypical objects
So for example, given the sentences "an apple is a fruit" and a "durian is a fruit" you would be faster to say the apple is ev
though they both are
11.Smith et al (1974) studied the effect prototypically had on performance by using a sentence verification
technique. Participants responded "yes" if the sentence is true, and "no" if it was false. Explain the results: They
found that prototypical objects are processed preferentially, i.e., highly prototypical objects are judged more rapidly than
low prototypical objects
They called this phenomenon the typicality effect
12.Explain the typicality effect: Prototypical objects are processed preferentially and highly prototypical objects are
judged more rapidly
13.Mervis et al (1976) had participants name as many members of a category as possible, what were the results:
More prototypical members of a category are named before less prototypical members
For example, when naming birds, you are more likely to name robins before penguins
14.Does prototypicality affect naming?: Yes, more prototypical members of a category are named preferentially
than less prototypical members
15.Does prototypicality affect priming?: Yes, when primed to respond to a cer- tain member of a category, RT to
the prime stimuli will decrease
16.Rosch (1975b) conducted an experiment to test whether or not prototypi- cality affected priming. participants
heard the name of a colour then presented it with two coloured discs and had to report if the two discs were the
, PSYCH 351A - FINAL MATERIAL CONDENSED SET
same or different colour. What were the results?: If you heard green then presented with a "poor example" you would
have a longer reaction time compared to if you have
, PSYCH 351A - FINAL MATERIAL CONDENSED SET
been presented with a "good example"
So you are faster for the typical members of the category than atypical members
17.What was the conclusion by Rosch (1975b)?: People were faster in their judgement for typical member of
the category than for atypical members of the category after the prime (the noise)
So just hearing the word green primes the mind for judging the similarity of two disks
18.For the prototype approach, what is family resemblance?: Things in a cate- gory that resemble one another in a
number of ways
19.Explain some short-comings with the prototype approach: Some concepts and categories don't lend themselves
easily to the prototype approach so you can't exactly define the characteristic features of a game since they vary so much
nor can you define the prototypical game
20.For the exemplar approach concepts are represented by , exam-
ples are , and it is used to : Concepts are represented by multiple examples rather
than one and examples are actual category members, not abstract averages
Used to categorise and compare new items to previously stored items
21.What is a shortcoming of the exemplar approach?: It cannot form enough data to form an "average"
22.How does the exemplar approach explain the typicality effect?: The more similar an object is to known
category members, the faster it will be categorised. So the more examples an object is similar to the faster it will be
categorised
23.How does the exemplar approach and the prototype approach compare for birds?: In many cases the
exemplar and prototype approach would reach similar conclusion so can be used interchangeably
24.How does the exemplar approach and the prototype approach compare when deciding if a dolphin is a fish
or a mammal?: The exemplar approach is better to handle exceptional cases so it would be the better approach here
25.How does the exemplar approach and the prototype approach compare for games?: The exemplar approach is
better able to handle highly variable categories
26.How do we categorise things according to the three approaches previously discussed: Using the definitional
approach for specialized domains such as math- ematics
1. What is the definitional approach and defining features for categorization?-
: A way of determining category membership based on whether the objects meets the definition of the category
A defining feature(s) is a feature(s) that any object must have to be a category member; they are necessary and sufficient
conditions
2. Using the definitional approach, what are the defining features of a square, and what does that tell us about
this approach?: A square would have a closed figure, 4 equal length sides, and 90 degree angles
This tells us that the definitional approach can work for certain, abstract constructed categories
3. Using the definitional approach, what are the defining features of a chair, and what does that tell us about
this approach?: Does a chair have or need 4 legs? Does it need legs? What about the back? Is a seat a chair?
These questions tell us that the definitional approach doesn't work so well for everyday categories since its defining featu
are too rigid
4. What is the prototype approach for categorization?: It uses family resem- blance, so things in a category
resemble one another in a number of ways
5. For the prototype approach for categorization what is a prototype? What are characteristic features?: An
average of category members encountered in the past and is an abstract representation of the "typical" member of a
category
Characteristic features are features that objects in the category typically have, they are usually the most salient features of
the category
6. Rosch (1975) had participants rate each category member on how well it represents the category title on a
scale of 1-7. 1 = very good example (high prototypically) and 7 = very poor category (low prototypicality).
What were the results?: Participants rated thing as more prototypical based on how many characteristic features it
has
For example when asked about the category of birds participants would say a sparrow is more prototypical than a bat
7. What was the conclusion by Rosch (1975) studying prototypicality: Some objects are more prototypical of a
category than others, i.e, they more closely resemble the prototype
, PSYCH 351A - FINAL MATERIAL CONDENSED SET
8. What makes an object more or less prototypical?: When items share many features with other items in the
category, the family resemblance of these items is high, so therefore are rated as more prototypical of that category
9. Rosch & Mervis (1975) "family resemblance" experiment had participants told to list as many characteristics
and attributes they felt are common amongst the presented objects. For example; "dog" - four legs, barks, fur,
chases cat, tail. Explain the results: They found that there was a strong positive relationship between prototypicality
and family resemblance, so when items share many features with other items in the category, the family resemblance of
these items is high, and they are rated more prototypically since they share characteristic features
10.Does prototypically affect performance?: Yes, prototypical objects take less time to respond to than less
prototypical objects
So for example, given the sentences "an apple is a fruit" and a "durian is a fruit" you would be faster to say the apple is ev
though they both are
11.Smith et al (1974) studied the effect prototypically had on performance by using a sentence verification
technique. Participants responded "yes" if the sentence is true, and "no" if it was false. Explain the results: They
found that prototypical objects are processed preferentially, i.e., highly prototypical objects are judged more rapidly than
low prototypical objects
They called this phenomenon the typicality effect
12.Explain the typicality effect: Prototypical objects are processed preferentially and highly prototypical objects are
judged more rapidly
13.Mervis et al (1976) had participants name as many members of a category as possible, what were the results:
More prototypical members of a category are named before less prototypical members
For example, when naming birds, you are more likely to name robins before penguins
14.Does prototypicality affect naming?: Yes, more prototypical members of a category are named preferentially
than less prototypical members
15.Does prototypicality affect priming?: Yes, when primed to respond to a cer- tain member of a category, RT to
the prime stimuli will decrease
16.Rosch (1975b) conducted an experiment to test whether or not prototypi- cality affected priming. participants
heard the name of a colour then presented it with two coloured discs and had to report if the two discs were the
, PSYCH 351A - FINAL MATERIAL CONDENSED SET
same or different colour. What were the results?: If you heard green then presented with a "poor example" you would
have a longer reaction time compared to if you have
, PSYCH 351A - FINAL MATERIAL CONDENSED SET
been presented with a "good example"
So you are faster for the typical members of the category than atypical members
17.What was the conclusion by Rosch (1975b)?: People were faster in their judgement for typical member of
the category than for atypical members of the category after the prime (the noise)
So just hearing the word green primes the mind for judging the similarity of two disks
18.For the prototype approach, what is family resemblance?: Things in a cate- gory that resemble one another in a
number of ways
19.Explain some short-comings with the prototype approach: Some concepts and categories don't lend themselves
easily to the prototype approach so you can't exactly define the characteristic features of a game since they vary so much
nor can you define the prototypical game
20.For the exemplar approach concepts are represented by , exam-
ples are , and it is used to : Concepts are represented by multiple examples rather
than one and examples are actual category members, not abstract averages
Used to categorise and compare new items to previously stored items
21.What is a shortcoming of the exemplar approach?: It cannot form enough data to form an "average"
22.How does the exemplar approach explain the typicality effect?: The more similar an object is to known
category members, the faster it will be categorised. So the more examples an object is similar to the faster it will be
categorised
23.How does the exemplar approach and the prototype approach compare for birds?: In many cases the
exemplar and prototype approach would reach similar conclusion so can be used interchangeably
24.How does the exemplar approach and the prototype approach compare when deciding if a dolphin is a fish
or a mammal?: The exemplar approach is better to handle exceptional cases so it would be the better approach here
25.How does the exemplar approach and the prototype approach compare for games?: The exemplar approach is
better able to handle highly variable categories
26.How do we categorise things according to the three approaches previously discussed: Using the definitional
approach for specialized domains such as math- ematics
