Elsevier

Cognition

Volume 9, Issue 1, 1981, Pages 35-58
Cognition

On the adequacy of prototype theory as a theory of concepts

https://doi.org/10.1016/0010-0277(81)90013-5Get rights and content

Abstract

Prototype theory construes membership in a concept's extension as graded, determined by similarity to the concept's “best” exemplar (or by some other measure of central tendency). The present paper is concerned with the compatibility of this view of concept membership with two criteria of adequacy for theories of concepts. The first criterion concerns the relationship between complex concepts and their conceptual constituents. The second concerns the truth conditions for thoughts corresponding to simple inclusions.

Résumé

La théorie du prototype considère qu'il existe des degrés d'appartenance à l'extension d'un concept déterminés par la similitude avec le “meilleur” exemplaire de ce concept (ou par quelqu'autre mesure de tendance centrale). Cet article envisage la compatibilité de cette proposition avec deux critères d'adéquation concernant les théories des concepts. Le premier critére concerne la relation entre les concepts complexes et leurs contribuants conceptuels. La seconde a trait aux conditions de vérité pour les propositions portant sur les inclusions simples.

References (18)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (440)

  • A planning theory of belief

    2023, Nous-Supplement: Philosophical Perspectives
View all citing articles on Scopus

This research was partly supported by U.S. Public Health Service Grant MH-19705. We thank Ned Block, Susan Caret, David Israel, Louis Narens, Gary Olson, Molly Potter, Lance Rips, William Salter, and Ken Wexler for helpful discussion of the ideas in this paper.

View full text