Abstract
To speak about representation in psychology with reference to psychophysics might appear somewhat paradoxical. If by ‘representation’ is meant (in a broad sense) a mental construct in the absence of (or at least independent from) actual sensory stimulation, then psychophysics is paradigmatically the exact contrary of the psychology of representation. In a certain sense, psychophysics is the branch of psychology which studies the relation between stimulation and sensation, and does so relatively regardless of mental contents. I believe that this image is only partly true, or least it is only adequate. In order to gain thorough understanding of the historical evolution of the concept of representation in psychology, careful examination of some aspects of psychophysics is recommended.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Albertazzi, L.: 1996, The Philosophy of Alexius Meinong, special issue of Axiomathes,, 7.
Arnheim, R.: 1980, ‘The other Gustav Theodor Fechner,’ Gestalt Theory, 2, 133–140.
Beretta, A.: 1969, TDS. Florence, OS.
Bergson, H.: 1889, Essai sur les données immédiates de la conscience. Paris, Alcan.
Bernoulli, D.: 1733, ‘Specimen theoriae novae de mensura sortis,’ Commentarium Academiae Scientiarum Petropolitanae, 5, 175–192.
Bessel, F.W.: 1822, ‘Persönliche Gleichung bei Durchgangsbeobachtung,’ Astronomische Beobachtungen der Sternwarte zu Königsberg, 8, 39–72.
Bouguer, P.: 1760, Traité d’optique sur la gradation de la lumière. Paris, Val.
Brozek, J. and Gundlach, H. eds.: 1988, G.T. Fechner and Psychology. Passau, Passavia Universitätsverlag.
Buttman, G.: 1973, The Shadow of the Telescope. New York, Scribner.
Carterette, E.C. and Friedman, M. eds.: 1974, Handbook of Perception. Vol. 1. Roots of Perception. New York, Academic Press.
Clark, L.H. ed.: 1954, Consumer Behaviour. New York, New York University Press.
Conti, C.: 1975, Probabilità e valore nelle scienze sociali. Milan, Mazzotta.
Dawes, W.R.: 1851, ‘On a Photometrical Method of Determining the Magnitudes of Telescopic Stars,’ Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomic Society, 11, 187–198.
Delboeuf, J.: 1872, Examen critique de la loi psychophysique: sa base et sa signification. Paris, Alcan.
Delezenne, C.E.J.: 1827, ‘Sur les valeurs numériques des notes de la gamma,’ Recueil des travaux de la Societé des Sciences, de l’Agriculture et des Arts de Lille, 58, 1–56.
Donders, F.C.: 1868/69, ‘Over de snelheid van psychische processen,’ Onderzoekingen gedaan in het Physiologisch Laboratorium der Utrechtsche Hoogeschool, 2, 92–120.
Fechner, G.T.: 1824, Stapelia Mixta. Leipzig, Voss.
Fechner, G.T.: 1838, ‘Über die subjektiven Complementarfarben,’ Annalen der Physik und Chemie, 44, 221–245, 513–535.
Fechner, G.T.: 1840, ‘Über die subjektiven Nachbilder und Nebenbilder,’ Annalen der Physik und Chemie, 44, 193–221, 427–470.
Fechner, G.T.: 1851, Zend-Avesta oder über die Dinge des Himmels und des Jenseit. Leipzig, Voss.
Fechner, G.T.: 1860, Elemente der Psychophysik. Leipzig, Breitkopf und Härtel.
Fechner, G.T.: 1875, Kleine Schriften. Leipzig, Breitkopf und Härtel.
Gomes Penna, A.: 1988, ‘Bergson’s Critique of Fechner’s Psychophysics,’ in Brozek and Gundlach, eds., 1988, 151–155.
Green, D.M. and Sweets, J.A.: 1966, Signal Detection Theory and Psychophysics. New York, Wiley.
Gundlach, H.: 1988a, Index Psychophysicus. Passau, Passavia Universitätsverlag.
Gundlach, H.: 1988b, ‘Fechner Scholarship — Aspects of its History,’ in Brozek and Gundlach, eds., 1988, 17–30.
Helson, M.: 1964, Adaptation Level Theory: An Experimental and Systematic Approach in Behaviour. New York, Harper and Row.
Krueger, L.E.: 1989, ‘Reconciling Fechner and Stevens: Towards a Unified Psychophysical Law,’ Behavioural and Brain Sciences, 12, 251–320.
Legrenzi, P. and Luccio, R.: 1993, Immagini della psicologia. Bologna, il Mulino.
Luccio, R.: 1993, ‘Il tempo della mente: Frans Cornelis Donders,’ in Legrenzi and Luccio, 1993, Immagini della psicologia. Bologna, il Mulino, 43–79.
Luccio, R.: 1996, Tecniche di ricerca e analisi dei dati in psicologia. Bologna, il Mulino.
Luce, R.D. 1959, Individual Choice Theory. New York, Wiley.
Meinong, A.: 1896, ‘Über die Bedeutung des Weber’schen Gesetzes. Beiträge zur Psychologie des Vergleichens und Messens,’ Zeitschrift für Psychologie und Physiologie des Sinnesorgane, 11, Sonder-Abdruck.
Metzger, W.: 1974, ‘Consciousness, Perception and Action,’ in Carterette and Friedman, eds., 1974, 109–122.
Plateau, J.: 1872, ‘Sur la mesure des sensations physiques et sur la loi qui lie l’intensité de ces sensations à l’intensité de la cause excitante,’ Bulletin de l’Académie Royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, 33, 376–385.
Pliskoff, S.S.: 1977, ‘Antecedents to Fechner’s Law: The Astronomers J. Herschel, W.R. Dawes and N.R. Pogson,’ Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behaviour, 28, 185–187.
Pogson, N.R.: 1856, ‘Magnitude of Thirty-six of the Minor Planets for the First day of Each Month of the Year 1857,’ Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomic Society, 17, 12–15.
Potrc, M. and Vospernik, M.: 1996, ‘Meinong on Psychophysical Measurement,’ in Albertazzi, ed., 1996, 187–202.
Purghé, F.: 1996, Metodi psicofisici e scaling multidimensionale. Torino, Bollati Boringhieri.
Romano, D.: 1990, Paradigmi. Milan, Cortina.
Stevens, S.S.: 1951, ‘Mathematics, Measurement, and Psychophysics,’ in Stevens, ed., 1951, 1–49.
Stevens, S.S. ed.: 1951, Handbook of Experimental Psychology. New York, Wiley.
Stevens, S.S.: 1970, ‘Neural Events and the Psychophysical Law,’ Science, 170, 1043–1050.
Thurstone, L.L.: 1927, ‘A Law of Comparative Judgement,’ Psychological review, 34, 273–286.
Torgerson, W.S.: 1954, ‘A Law of Categorical Judgement,’ in Clark, ed., 1954, 92–93.
Turner, R.S.: 1988, ‘Fechner, Helmholtz and Hering on the Interpretation of Simultaneous Contrast,’ in Brozek and Gundlach, eds., 1988, 137–150.
Weber, E.H.: 1834, De pulsu, resorptione, auditu et tactu. Leipzig, Köhler. En. tr. 1978 De Tactu. New York, Academic Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2001 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Luccio, R. (2001). Representation in Psychophysics. In: Albertazzi, L. (eds) The Dawn of Cognitive Science. Synthese Library, vol 295. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9656-5_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9656-5_4
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-90-481-5646-7
Online ISBN: 978-94-015-9656-5
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive