View article

Concept and category learning is critical for intelligent thought and action. However, much of the laboratory work has focused only on classification learning, how people learn to assign category membership. This chapter attempts to integrate concept and category learning to the many cases in which it is critical in three ways. First, we examine other ways of learning, in which the categories are used to accomplish a goal. Second, we investigate more complex concepts and the use of prior knowledge. Third, we briefly consider the role of concept and category learning in problem solving and language use.