The view of concepts as definitions with lists of necessary and sufficient properties can be traced back to _____.

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Study for the University of Central Florida EXP3604 Cognitive Psychology Final Exam. Use flashcards and multiple choice questions with hints and explanations to prepare effectively. Ace your exam!

The view of concepts as definitions characterized by lists of necessary and sufficient properties is rooted in early Greek philosophy. Philosophers such as Plato proposed that concepts could be understood through their defining attributes. This perspective suggested that for any given concept, there exist specific properties that must be present for an object or idea to belong to that category. For instance, the concept of a "triangle" might be defined by its necessary properties, such as having three sides and three angles.

This foundational understanding influenced the development of formal logic and later philosophical inquiries into how we classify and categorize knowledge. Modern psychology and other frameworks like behaviorism and structuralism do explore concepts, but they do not emphasize this definitional approach in the same way that early Greek philosophy does. Instead, they often focus on behavior, mental processes, or the structural aspects of consciousness without grounding in strict definitional criteria.