Eleanor Rosch

Eleanor Rosch developed the prototype view of categorization.

Why move past the classical view?

The classical “necessary-and-sufficient features” view doesn’t match how real human categories work.

• Members vary in typicality: a robin is more prototypical than a penguin, and people verify “a robin is a bird” faster
• Basic-level categories: a preferred level of abstraction (chair, not furniture, not armchair) that people use spontaneously, learn first as children, and recognize fastest