Prototype Theory

Rosch------Prototype Category Theory
• 语言学家Labov 和Rosch 先后发表了他们 对于自然范畴的试验研究结果，以此证明 维氏的“家族相似性”原理适用于描述自 然界中的许多范畴，即许多自然范畴都具 有维氏所说的“家族相似性”。Labov 和 Rosch 把具有“家族相似性”的这些自然 范畴称为“原型范畴”（prototype category），即具有原型（prototype, 即范 畴的典型成员）的范畴。从而建立了现代 范畴理论，原型范畴理论。
Definitions of Categorization
F.Ungerer ＆ H.J.Schmid: The mental process of classification. And its products are the cognitive categories. Categorization is
E.g.
• furniture / chair/ table/ lamp/ kitchen chair/living-room chair /kitchen table/dining room table/floor lamp/desk lamp
Category
Definitions
赵艳芳：严格来讲，范畴是事物在认知中的归类。 F.Ungerer＆H.J.Schmid: The product of the mental process of classification. They can be understood as mental concepts
• Definitions of Prototype • Basic contents of Prototype Theory • Factors that influence the Prototype
Definitions of Prototype
• The term prototype has been defined in Eleanor Rosch's study "Natural Categories" (1973) and was first defined as a stimulus, which takes a salient position in the formation of a category as it is the first stimulus to be associated with that category. Later, she redefined it as the most central member of a category.
Superordinate level : Superordinate categories are the most general ones. They are the ones that are at
Basic or generic level : Categories at the basic, or middle, level are perceptually and conceptually the more salient. The generic level of a category tends to elicit the most responses and richest images, providing a basic gestalt, and seems to be the psychologically basic level. Basic level categories are members of superordinate level categories. Subordinate level : Subordinate level categories are the most specific ones. They are the members of the basic level categories. They have clearly identifiable gestalts and many individuating specific features.
Levels of Categorization
• Superordinate level • Basic or generic level • Subordinate level
Levels of Categorization
Taxonimies of categories are organized into levels of categorization. There are three levels:
维特根斯坦的家族相似性对于认知语言学的一个重要贡献在于它揭示了语义范畴具有中心典型和边缘非典型成员的内部结构roschprototypecategorytheory语言学家labov和rosch先后发表了他们对于自然范畴的试验研究结果以此证明维氏的家族相似性原理适用于描述自然界中的许多范畴即许多自然范畴都具有维氏所说的家族相似性
Definitions of Categorization
赵艳芳：主客观相互作用对事物进行分类的过程即范畴化的过
程，其结果是认知范畴。
王寅：我们拟将范畴化描写为：是一种基于体验，以主客体互 动为出发点，对外界事体（事物、事件。现象等）进行主观概 括和类属划分的心智过程，是一种赋予世界以一定结构，并使
其从无序转向有序的理性活动，也是人们认识世界的一个重要
手段。
Principles of categorization
• Principle of cognitive economy • This principle states that an organism, like a human being, attempts to gain as much information as possible about its environment while minimizing cognitive effort and resources. This cost-benefit balance drives category formation. In other words, rather than storing separate information about every individual stimulus experienced, humans can group similar stimuli into categories, which maintains economy in cognitive representation.
Wittgenstein------Family Resemblance Theory • Wittgenstein 对家族相似概念的论证主要集中在 “spiel”（游戏）这个概念上。他指出种种游戏并 没有一种共同的特征，而是形成了一个家族，家 族成员具有某些相似之处。一个概念下的各种现 象A、B、C、D 并不具有唯一共同性质，而是A 相似于B, B相似于C,C相似于D。 • 维特根斯坦的“家族相似性”对于认知语言学 的一个重要贡献在于它揭示了语义范畴具有“中 心”（典型）和“边缘”（非典型成员）的内部 结构
• Definitions of Categorization • Principles of Categorization • Levels of Categorization
Definitions of Categorization
• Wikipedia :Categorization is the process in which experiences and concepts are recognised and understood. • Categorization implies that concepts are classified into categories based on commonalities and usually for some specific purpose. Categorization is fundamental in decision making, in all kinds of interaction with the environment, and in language.
stored in our mind.
王 寅： 范畴是人们在互动体验的基础上对客观事物普遍 本质在思维上的概括反映，是由一个通常聚集在一起的属性 所构成的“完形”概念构成的。
Basic Rules of Categories
• 1) categories are defined in terms of a family of resemblance rather than by means of a set of necessary and sufficient features. • 2) membership in a category is determined by the perceived distance of resemblance of the entity to the prototype, there is no clear-cut boundaries. But there is a continuum. • 3) All members of a category don’t enjoy equal status.
Principles of categorization
• Principle of perceived world structure • The world around us has correlational相互关系 structure. For instance, it is a fact about the world that wings most frequently co-occur with feathers and the ability to fly (as in birds), rather than with fur or the ability to breathe underwater. This principle states that humans rely upon correlational structure of this kind in order to form and organize categories.
Prototype Theory
Presenter: Tory
• Development History • Prototype Theory
Categorization Classification of category Prototype Theory
• Applications • Limitations
Aristotle------Classical Category Theory • 亚里士多德是西方哲学史上第一个对哲学范畴进 行系统阐述的学者。 • 亚里士多德提出的经典范畴观认为，一切范畴皆 由范畴成员共有的一组充分而且必要的特性来界 定。这些特征是二元对立的，一个物体如果具备 某个范畴成员的所有的重要特性，便可认定它属 于该范畴，否则不属于该范畴。因此，不存在 “好像属于该范畴、又好像不属于该范畴”的情 况。即是说，不同范畴之间存在清晰的界限；在 同一范畴中，各成员之间的关系是平等的，即不 存在典型成员与边缘成员之间的差别.
something that underlies the mental processes of language
comprehension and language production. Vyvyan and Evans: Our ability to identify perceived similarities (and differences) between entities and thus group them together.