Distinguish between the prototype and exemplar approaches to concepts. Define and give an example of each.

What will be an ideal response?

Student examples will vary. A sample answer follows. Scientists and philosophers want to find out how people envision concepts. The prototype approach is the idea that people represent a concept as an abstract average of representative features of the items in a category. For example, my concept of "dress" is "item of clothing that has a neckhole and armholes but no pant legs; may have sleeves."
In contrast, the exemplar approach states that people base a concept on similarities to retrieved memories of previously encountered category members. For example, if I see an item of clothing in the store, and it matches the items I have previously categorized as dresses but does not match the items I have previously categorized as jeans, shirts, socks, and so forth, then I can conclude that this item matches the concept "dress."

Psychology

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The Oedipus and Electra complexes refer to:

a. a child developing a sexual attraction to the opposite sex parent and displaying jealously to the same-sex parent. b. a person trying to become like someone else to deal with anxiety. c. the desire for immediate gratification of needs with no regard for the consequences. d. a way of dealing with stress by unconsciously distorting one's perception of reality.fv

Psychology

Which research study is a compromise technique that essentially examines a number of different age groups at several points in time, and permits developmental researchers to tease out the consequences of age change versus age difference?

a) longitudinal b) sequential c) cross-sectional d) experimental

Psychology