Synopses & Reviews
Concepts embody our knowledge of the kinds of things there are in the world. Tying our past experiences to our present interactions with the environment, they enable us to recognize and understand new objects and events. Concepts are also relevant to understanding domains such as social situations, personality types, and even artistic styles. Yet like other phenomenologically simple cognitive processes such as walking or understanding speech, concept formation and use are maddeningly complex.
Research since the 1970s and the decline of the andquot;classical viewandquot; of concepts have greatly illuminated the psychology of concepts. But persistent theoretical disputes have sometimes obscured this progress.
The Big Book of Concepts goes beyond those disputes to reveal the advances that have been made, focusing on the major empirical discoveries. By reviewing and evaluating research on diverse topics such as category learning, word meaning, conceptual development in infants and children, and the basic level of categorization, the book develops a much broader range of criteria than is usual for evaluating theories of concepts.
Review:
andquot;This book is a landmark achievement in the cognitive science of human concepts. It beautifully integrates experimental data and theories to arrive at a rich account of how concepts are learned, represented, interrelated, used, combined, and changed.andquot;
andmdash;Robert Goldstone, Professor of Psychology, Program in Cognitive Science, Indiana University
Review:
andquot;This is going to be the classic text in the field for a very long time.andquot;
andmdash; Nature
Review:
"The study of concepts has flourished in recent years, and Murphy has been one of the leading figures behind several changes in how we view concepts, their mental representation, and their use. The Big Book of Concepts offers a superb discussion of recent research from a wide variety of perspectives. This book is essential reading not only for those interested in concepts directly but also for those interested in cognitive development, word meaning, and many other related areas of cognitive science."
-- Frank C. Keil, Professor, Department of Psychology, Yale University
Review:
andquot;Murphy's well-written Big Book of Concepts provides a much-needed overview of the rapidly developing field of concept learning and use. This book should be read by anyone who wants to understand the theories and empirical studies that will provide the foundation for new research for decades to come.andquot;
andmdash;Arthur B. Markman, Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin
Synopsis:
A comprehensive introduction to current research on the psychology of concept formation and use.
About the Author
Gregory L. Murphy is Professor of Psychology at New York University.
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