Knowledge Base Approach and Concept Organisation

2006PSY

Knowledge-Based Approach

An approach that emphasizes the importance of understanding the relations among features of a concept, rather than just the features themselves.

Casual Relations

The connections between features that can influence how concepts are categorized and understood.

Contextual Influence

The idea that the representation of a concept can change based on the context in which it is presented.

Ad Hoc Categories

Categories that are formed based on specific situations or needs, rather than being fixed or permanent.

Conceptual Hierarchies

A system of organizing concepts into three levels of generality:superordinate, basic, and subordinate.

Superordinate Level

The most general level in a conceptual hierarchy, such as "furniture."

Basic Level

An intermediate level in a conceptual hierarchy, such as "chair" or "lamp," which has a balance of informativeness and economy.

Subordinate Level

The most specific level in a conceptual hierarchy, such as "kitchen chair."

Basic Level Properties

Characteristics of basic level concepts, including faster recognition and spontaneous naming.

Familiarity in Categorization

The idea that familiarity with a category can influence the level of categorization used (basic vs. subordinate).

Semantic Network

A model that represents concepts and their relationships through links of varying lengths based on relatedness.

Spreading Activation

The process by which activation spreads from an activated node to related concepts, making them more accessible.

Schemas

Frameworks of related propositions that help organize knowledge about the world, events, or people.

Event Indexing Model

A model that explains how propositions are linked based on various dimensions such as time and space.

Consistency Bias

The tendency to exaggerate the consistency between our feelings and beliefs over time.

Schema-Based Approach

An approach to memory that emphasizes the role of schemata in organizing and reconstructing memories.

Schema-Driven Memory Errors

Errors that occur when individuals recall more schema-consistent objects than were actually present in a situation.

Cognitive Overload Prevention

The function of schemas in helping to manage cognitive load by providing expectations and filling in missing information.

Stereotypes

Oversimplified generalizations about groups that can change over time and are influenced by context.

Semantic Dementia

A condition characterized by the loss of knowledge about the meaning of concepts and words, distinct from Alzheimer's disease.