The abstraction and recognition of prototypes by children and adults

Previous characterizations of children's categorization behavior have expressed differing views concerning the underlying structure of categorical knowledge. Important differences center on the role of specific experienced exemplars versus a generalized, abstracted prototype. In the present investigation, the ability of children and adults to abstract and recognize figural prototypes was examined using a prototype-plus-distortions design. Analysis of adults' performance supports a view of categorical knowledge as composed of a central prototype with limited retention of exemplar-specific information. The effects of prototype abstraction by adults were observed regardless of high or low accuracy constraints imposed during the concept-assessment phase, increased exposure to acquisition stimuli, or increased complexity of the abstraction task. The results obtained with preschool children reveal prototype knowledge in the relaxed-accuracy condition, while demonstrating exemplar-specific information surpassing that of adults when accuracy constraints are imposed. These age-group differences are discussed in terms of differential acquisition strategies adopted by the two groups in approaching categorically related material, which result in the availability of different types of information at the time of concept assessment.