Natural Concept

A natural concept is a mental representation of events or objects drawn from personal experience, because of this ability to create a mental representation, kind of like a mental blueprint, we are able to perform previously learned tasks (like tying shoes) without needing instructions each time. Natural concepts are often described as being automatic and ‘second nature’. We understand them and how to do them based on our self-knowledge and previous experience and observations. Natural concepts can range from mundane things such as knowing how to put on pants to what a mountain looks like. This type of knowledge is also how an individual can be trained to perform highly complex tasks (like flying a plane or driving a car). Because of this ability humans are able to learn and use an amazing array of skills without having to constantly be consulting instructions.


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