The Geometries of Visual Space - Softcover

Wagner, Mark

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0805852530 ISBN 13: 9780805852530

Publisher: Psychology Press, 2006

Synopsis

When most people think of space, they think of physical space. However, visual space concerns space as consciously experienced, and it is studied through subjective measures, such as asking people to use numbers to estimate perceived distances, areas, angles, or volumes. This book explores the mismatch between perception and physical reality, and describes the many factors that influence the perception of space including the meaning assigned to geometric concepts like distance, the judgment methods used to report the experience, the presence or absence of cues to depth, and the orientation of a stimulus with respect to point of view. The main theme of the text is that no single geometry describes visual space, but that the geometry of visual space depends upon the stimulus conditions and mental shifts in the subjective meaning of size and distance.

In addition, The Geometries of Visual Space:
*contains philosophical, mathematical, and psychophysical background material;
*looks at synthetic approaches to space perception including work on hyperbolic, spherical, and Euclidean geometries;
*presents a meta-analysis of studies that ask observers to directly estimate size, distance, area, angle, and volume;
*looks at the size constancy literature in which observers are asked to adjust a comparison stimulus to match a variety of standards at different distances away;
*discusses research that takes a multi-dimensional approach toward studying visual space; and
*discusses how spatial experience is influenced by memory.

While this book is primarily intended for scholars in perception, mathematical psychology, and psychophysics, it will also be accessible to a wider audience since it is written at a readable level. It will make a good graduate-level textbook on space perception.

About this title

About the Author

Mark Wagner is a professor of psychology at Wagner College on Staten Island, New York.  Originally from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, he received his Bachelor of Science Degree from South Dakota State University and his Ph.D. from Dartmouth College.  After postdoctoral work at York University, Toronto, and some teaching experience at Franklin & Marshall College, he began teaching at Wagner College in 1991.  In addition to his publications on space perception, the moon illusion, psychophysics, philosophy of psychology, and cognitive mapping, he coauthored a book on the history of psychology with D. A. Owens entitled Progress in Modern Psychology: The Legacy of American Functionalism.

Review

"In his fine book....Wagner's goal is to show how the 'literature of spatial experience paints a rich, multidimensional picture that dynamically changes as a function of contextual variables'. In this he very largely succeeds. Wagner expresses the hope that his book would not be only for scholars but would 'also make for a good graduate level textbook on space perception'....Any graduate student who is serious about understanding the foundations of psychology should try to read at least the first four chapters of this book."
―PsycCRITIQUES

Edition details

• Publisher: Psychology Press
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0805852530
• ISBN 13: 9780805852530
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 280