Cognitive Psychology, Fifth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg Chapter 8Chapter 8: Representation and Organization of Knowledge in Memory: Concepts, Categories, Networks and SchemasCognitive Psychology, Fifth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg Chapter 8Using Our Minds Knowing that Declarative knowledge Knowing how Procedural knowledgeCognitive Psychology, Fifth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg Chapter 8Declarative Knowledge Stored in Concepts A mental representation of an item and associated knowledge and beliefs (cat, tools, furniture)Cognitive Psychology, Fifth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg Chapter 8When Do We Use Concepts? Create categoriesMake inferencesCombine to form complex thoughtsFor communicationCognitive Psychology, Fifth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg Chapter 8 Organizing Structures of Declarative Knowledge Concept Unit of symbolic knowledge Category Rule used to organize concepts Schemas Framework used to organize conceptsCognitive Psychology, Fifth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg Chapter 8Different Types of Concepts Natural Concept Occur naturally (e.g. plants, trees, cats) Artifact Concept Created by humans (e.g., hammers, computers) Ad Hoc Concepts Created individually to suit a need (things you need to be happy, things you do to please parents) Cognitive Psychology, Fifth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg Chapter 8 Different Theories on Concept OrganizationDefining Features (Classical View) Prototypes Exemplars Hierarchically semantic networksCognitive Psychology, Fifth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg Chapter 8Defining Features A defining feature Must have this to be considered a member What are the defining features of a mime?Cognitive Psychology, Fifth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg Chapter 8 Problem with Defining Features TheoryDifficult to specify necessary features of some concepts What is the defining feature of a monster? A widow? A family?Cognitive Psychology, Fifth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg Chapter 8Additional Defining Features Problem Typicality Effects Some things are better examples of a concept than others Robin is a more typical bird than a ostrichCognitive Psychology, Fifth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg Chapter 8Prototype Theory Abstracted representation of a category containing salient features that are true of most instancesCharacteristic features which describe what members of that concept are like Monster prototype has these characteristics: Scary, pale, has sharp teeth, is evil, lives in odd place (coffins, closets, or graveyards) Vampires, Zombies, and Bogeymen all fit that prototype well, Can a green, grumpy, lives in a garbage can monster also fit? Yes, but less well.Cognitive Psychology, Fifth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg Chapter 8Prototype Theory Deals well with fuzzy concepts Fuzzy concepts are categories that cannot be easily defined (Monster, Games) To categorize, simply compare to prototypeCognitive Psychology, Fifth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg Chapter 8Exemplar View No single prototype but rather multiple examples convey idea what the concept representsVegetable Concept = Peas, Carrots, or Beans Is a green pepper a vegetable? The more similar a specific exemplar is to a known category member, the faster it will be categorizedCognitive Psychology, Fifth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg Chapter 8Exemplar View Similar to Prototype View Representation is not a definition Different: Representation is not abstract Descriptions of specific examples To categorize, compare to stored examplesCognitive Psychology, Fifth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg Chapter 8 Synthesis: Combine Prototype & Defining Feature Evidence for both, so combine Introduce the idea of the “core” Defining features that item must have Prototype Characteristics typical of examplesCognitive Psychology, Fifth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg Chapter 8Understanding of Defining Features Keil & Batterman (1984) 5-10 year olds exposed to category Smelly mean old man with a gun that took TV because parents told him he could have it Friendly and cheerful woman who took toilet without permission and no intention to return itWhich is a robber? Not until close to age 10, did children see the cheerful woman as a robberCognitive Psychology, Fifth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg Chapter 8 Theory Based View Knowledge of the world informs and shapes our predictions about conceptsFeatures in a complex network of explanatory links indicate Relative importance of features Relations among features Objects classified into concept that best explains the pattern of attributesCognitive Psychology, Fifth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg Chapter 8 Rips (1989) Sorp/Doon Story Manipulated if the change was caused by an accident, a change in nature, or a control group reading about sorps Participants were then asked Is it more similar to a bird or an insect? Is it more likely to be a bird or an insect?Cognitive Psychology, Fifth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg Chapter 8 M