Behavioral and Brain Sciences



Author's Response
The work of Roger Shepard

Regularities in motion: Apparent, real and internalized


Robert Schwartz a1
a1 Department of Philosophy, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201 schwartz@uwm.edu

Abstract

By and large the commentators express reservations similar to my own concerning Shepard's position. Some focus on the issue of ecological validity, others are skeptical of Shepard's evolutionary thesis. The assumptions and reasons for their criticisms, however, are not always ones I fully accept. In addition, several commentators, although rejecting Shepard's particular claims, support his overall approach. They offer models for motion perception and for phenomena in other domains that they feel are amenable to treatment along Shepard's lines. I examine the pros and cons of the commentators' analyses of Shepard. I also briefly evaluate aspects of their alternative proposals.