Die Prototypenlehre der Bedeutung. Eine Einführung in ihre sprachpsychologische Relevanz sowie eine kritische Abhebung von den Sprachverarbeitungsprinzipien älterer Netzwerk-Modelle und merkmalstheoretischer Bedeutungskonzepte
ABSTRACT:
This psycho-linguistic contribution contains a differentiating assessment of the prototype theory of meaning as proposed by Eleonor Rosch and her team. Ranging foremost in this approach is the principle of the typical, more or less, membership of elements in a given category. For making you see what psycho-linguistics can gain from this cognitive approach, this article sets off from reviewing those processing principles, as they are at the root of conventional semantic network models and semantic feature theories. In doing so, the focus, in particular, is directed upon supra- and subordinating principles in hierarchical models, as also upon the conceptualization of verbal meanings by semantic features. Subsequently, the major basic terms of the prototype theory are being introduced, and reviewed with regard to their benefit for psycho-linguistics. The following viewpoints are subjected to a differentiating discussion: a) the insufficient integration of the conciseness theory by the Gestalt-theory and b) the presumed notion of meaning which continues to conform to the conventions of a language community and, by doing so, constrains the individual language user.
