Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Number and Illusion: Representation and Numerosity Perception

  • Published:
Topoi Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

It has been claimed that empirical work in psychology requires the attribution of representational content to perceptual states: that is, the attribution of veridicality conditions to those states. This is a claim that can only be evaluated by the examination of actual empirical research. In this paper I argue that talk of ‘representation’ in at least one area of research in the psychology of perception can be reinterpreted so as to avoid the attribution of veridicality conditions. This area is the study of human capacities to perceive the relative numerosities of collections of objects.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. See (Burge 2005) for a recent version of this complaint.

  2. In terms familiar from Chisholm (1957), an epistemic look presented by the cloud is explained by a non-epistemic look: because of the dark (non-epistemic) look of the cloud, I have perceptually-derived reason to believe that it is likely to rain.

  3. This describes an experiment by Durgin (1995).

References

  • Austin JL (1962) Sense and sensibilia. Oxford, Clarendon

  • Block N (1990) Inverted earth. In: Tomberlin J (ed) Philosophical perspectives, vol 4. Ridgeview Publishing Co, Atascadero 33: 1–78

  • Burge T (2005) Disjunctivism and perceptual psychology. Philoso Top 33: 1–78

  • Burr D, Ross J (2008) A visual sense of number. Curr Biol 18: 425–428

  • Burr D, Ross J (2012) Number, texture and crowding. Trends Cogn Sci 16(4): 196–197

  • Chisholm R (1957) Perceiving: a philosophical study. Cornell University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Durgin F (1995) Texture density adaptation and the perceived numerosity and distribution of texture. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform 21: 149–169

  • Durgin F (2008) Texture density adaptation and visual number revisited. Curr Biol 18: R855–R856

  • Frege G (1892) Über Sinn und Bedeutung. Zeitschrift für Philosophie und philosophische Kritik 100: 25–50

  • Peacocke C (1992) A study of concepts. MIT Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Pelli DG, Tillman KA (2008) The uncrowded window of object recognition. Nat Neurosci 11(10): 1129–1135

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Philosophy, King’s College London, The Strand, London, WC2R 2LS, UK

    Michael O’Sullivan

Authors
  1. Michael O’Sullivan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael O’Sullivan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

O’Sullivan, M. Number and Illusion: Representation and Numerosity Perception. Topoi 36, 311–318 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11245-014-9277-0

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11245-014-9277-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation