Show:
General Knowledge
Approaches to semantic memory
Levels of categorization
100

What is general knowledge?

General knowledge in psychology is a form of semantic memory. It involves mental processes, social behavior, and development acquire over time. 

100

Prototype 

The first or typical model of something. 

100

What is basic level category?

Identifying something by the category most people prefer. An example would be, calling a Golden Retriever a dog rather than an animal. 

200

Semantic Memory

Understanding of the world, vocabulary, and facts, forming the basis for language. Long term, conscious storage of general world knowledge an example would be knowledge of the encyclopedia. 

200

This approach categorizes where something belongs by comparing it to the most typical example. 

What is the prototype approach?

200

What is superordinate-level category?

General category, highest level. An example would be someone calling a dog an animal instead of a Border Collie. 

300

Episodic Memory 

Episodic memory involves specific past memories. It is mental time travel unique to an individual. An example, would be remember your first day at college.

300

Categorizing new objects by comparing them to stored memories of concrete examples rather than the prototype. 

What is the exemplar approach?

300

Someone at a store points to an item and calls it a chair instead of furniture. 

What is the basic level category?

400

Schemas

A pattern of thoughts or behaviors that organizes categories of information. Categorizes objects, people, or situations which is helpful for future interpretations. 

400

Graded Structure 

Members of a category are not equal and vary in how representative they are, demonstrating this continuum of representativeness within a category.

400

A person points to something and calls it a vehicle instead of a car. 

What is superordinate-level category?

500

Inference

Making a logical conclusion, interpretation, or forming judgements based on evidence. An example would be seeing someone wearing a swimsuit and make the inference they're going swimming.  
500
A child learns what "birds" are. When asked if a parrot is a bird the kid quickly says yes. When asked if an ostrich is a bird the child hesitates. The child hesitating shows that some category members are judged less representative than others.  

Prototypicality

500

What is semantic priming effect?

A cognitive phenomenon where exposure to a word facilities the next word faster. For example, seeing the word "doctor" first makes it easier to see the word "nurse after.