Final answer:
When one uses a specific breed of dog like a Labrador retriever as an example of what a typical dog is, they're utilizing the prototype approach to categorization. Prototypes are cognitive representations of the most typical example of a category, influenced by personal experiences.
Step-by-step explanation:
If you say "A Labrador retriever is my idea of a typical dog," you would be using the prototype approach to categorization. The concept of prototypes is used in cognitive psychology to describe mental representations of the most typical or quintessential example of a certain category, which are based on our experiences. For instance, if a person's first pet was a Labrador Retriever, this breed may become their prototype for the category of dogs. This prototype then becomes the standard against which other dogs are compared.
In the case provided, if a child like Abdul learns that a Labrador retriever represents the category of dogs in his schema, then he has formed a prototype of a dog based on this specific breed. When Abdul encounters other dogs, he assimilates them into his schema for dogs, comparing them to his prototype of a Labrador retriever.
In cognitive psychology, such understanding is significant as it helps explain how we organize knowledge and how we process new information by relating it to our existing schemas and prototypes. Abdul's case demonstrates how a prototype is formed and how it aids in the categorization of new experiences, like distinguishing between dogs and sheep.