The Simplicity Principle in Human Concept Learning

摘要: How do we learn concepts and categories from examples? Part of the answer might be that induce simplest category consistent with a given set example objects. This seemingly obvious idea, akin to simplicity principles in many fields, plays surprisingly little role contemporary theories concept learning, which are mostly based on storage exemplars, avoid summarization or overt abstraction any kind. article reviews some evidence complexity minimization does indeed play central human learning. The chief finding is subjects' ability depends heavily concepts' intrinsic complexity; more complex difficult learn. pervasive effect suggests, contrary exemplar theories, learning critically involves extraction simplified abstracted generalization examples.