A prototype is a mental image or best example of a category. According to prototype theory, people categorise objects by comparing them to the prototype rather than by checking a list of defining features. The closer an object is to the prototype, the faster it is recognised as a member of the category.

For example, a robin is a more prototypical bird than a penguin or an ostrich, and people are quicker to agree that a robin is a bird. Prototypes are shaped by experience and culture, and they help explain why category boundaries can be fuzzy rather than all-or-nothing.

Key points

• Best example of a category
• Speeds up categorisation
• Shaped by experience and culture
• Explains fuzzy category boundaries