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Developing without concepts

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2010

Yevdokiya Yermolayeva
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. [email protected]://www.psy.cmu.edu/people/[email protected]://www.psy.cmu.edu/people/rakison.html
David H. Rakison
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. [email protected]://www.psy.cmu.edu/people/[email protected]://www.psy.cmu.edu/people/rakison.html

Abstract

We evaluate the heterogeneity hypothesis by considering the developmental time course and the mechanism of acquisition of exemplars, prototypes, and theories. We argue that behavioral and modeling data point to a sequential emergence of these three types of concepts within a single system. This suggests that similar or identical underlying cognitive processes – rather than separate ones – underpin representation acquisition.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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