concept

a word or phrase used in propositions purporting to describe real world relationships. Concepts are neither true nor false, only more or less useful. (Umpleby )

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The cognitive meaning of a term and the smallest unit of (conscious) thought processes. Concepts are neither true nor false but more or less applicable (a) to recognize an object as an instance of the concept, (see recognition ) (b) to produce or to understand sentences in which the concept is expressed and (c) to develop constructs or cognitive system s using the concept in question. Regarding (a) concepts provide decision rules for determining class membership rather than extensional membership lists. E.g., the concept "TV commercial" specifies certain defining features which when present identify a sequence of TV images as an instant of the concept without prior knowledge of its class membership (see connotation ). (Krippendorff )