The learnability of natural concepts

According to a recent proposal, natural concepts are represented in an optimally designed similarity space, adhering to principles a skilled engineer would use for creatures with our perceptual and cognitive capacities. One key principle is that natural concepts should be easily learnable. While evidence exists for parts of this optimal design proposal, there has been no direct evidence linking naturalness to learning until now. This article presents results from a computational study on perceptual color space, demonstrating that naturalness indeed facilitates learning.

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Publication Details

Journal
Mind & Language
Published
2024-10-24
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/mila.12523
Citations
4
Primary Topic
Child and Animal Learning Development
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
3.16
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article

The learnability of natural concepts

Igor Douven
4 citations
Mind & Language
Child and Animal Learning Development
3.16
article

The learnability of natural concepts

Igor Douven
article en
4 citations

Abstract

According to a recent proposal, natural concepts are represented in an optimally designed similarity space, adhering to principles a skilled engineer would use for creatures with our perceptual and cognitive capacities. One key principle is that natural concepts should be easily learnable. While evidence exists for parts of this optimal design proposal, there has been no direct evidence linking naturalness to learning until now. This article presents results from a computational study on perceptual color space, demonstrating that naturalness indeed facilitates learning.

Mind & LanguageVol. 40(1)
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), Sorbonne Université (FR), Institut d'Histoire et de Philosophie des Sciences et des Techniques (FR), Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (FR)
Openalex Percentile: Top 8%
Child and Animal Learning Development
3.16
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The learnability of natural concepts — Igor Douven · Mind & Language (2024) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS