Results seem to favor the exemplar view. We have noted that a prototype can be thought of as the average for a cateogry, and as such it provides a summary of what is typical or frequent for that category. But much inofrmation is lost in an avarage. A set of exemplars presevers information about variability; a prototype does not. Since people do seem sensitive to variability information, this is a strike against prototype theory and in favor of exemplars.

Report Place comment