Liliana Albertazzi

I have an experimental approach to systematic philosophy, always flanked by laboratory analyses. My research investigates the interactions between perception and language on both a theoretical and experimental basis. In recent years I have analysed the relation between perception and colour lexicon, the perceptual basis of metaphorical transfer, and the pre-categorial basis of natural language grammar. As to perception, I have worked on the nature of perceptual space/time and visual operations, and on phenomenal qualities. Recently, I started investigating the relation between awareness in the visual and in the pictorial field. My qualitative approach to perception can be defined as a generalized synaesthesia based on pattern morphology.

Liliana Albertazzi’s research areas and projects

A scientific theory of appearances
The structure of perceptual events exhibits spatial, temporal and qualitative characteristics dissimilar from physical properties. My study aims to develop a precise and detailed descriptive theory of appearances on experimental basis. The first steps in this direction have been a reconsideration of the theory of qualities from both an ontological and an experimental viewpoint (Albertazzi 2010c), and of the basic primitives of a geometry of seeing http://events.unitn.it/en/cimec-seqs2012 (Albertazzi ed., Wiley-Blackwell Handbook on Experimental Phenomenology, 2012, forthcoming).

Colour perception and linguistic categorization
This study supports the view that perceptual categorisation per se does not require linguistic categories, and simple tasks like ordering colours on the basis of their similarities evince well-structured perceptual categories, defined relative to visual perception and independent from learning, language, and higher-level cognition. The arguments for their naturalness and for their role in shaping language itself favour the ‘universalist’ thesis and are important in regard to both the research methodology and interpretation of the experimental data. Actually working on the relation between shape and colour, and colour and linguistic terms (Da Pos, Albertazzi 2010).

Theory of information in perception
In recent years there has been increasing consensus that phenomena belonging to open systems such as biological, psychological and artistic ones remain excluded and/or difficult to analyse in terms of the classical theory of information communication. Such phenomena are not easily computed and exhibit a sort of hyper-complexity characterized by predictive structures, internal semantics and adaptability to surroundings. This has become particularly evident in attempts to model human perceptual and cognitive structure and capacities. My study puts forward ideas towards the development of a semantic theory of information in the domain of perception and cognition (Albertazzi, van Tonder, and Vishwanath eds. 2010).

Metaphorical categorization
This study argues, using the theory of metaphor proposed by Albertazzi (2010d), that only creative metaphor reveals what may be called true metaphorical action, i.e. the mental operations underlying metaphorical transposition. It is argued that all other modes of transposition and figurative usage in language (including lexicalized metaphors and even conceptual metaphors) are aspects of linguistic or conceptual systematization post-predicatively applied to originary, perceptual and ante-predicative metaphoric action.

Generalised morphology
For long times the analysis of the qualitative aspects of appearance was left out of the mainstream science framework, and the idea of patterns pervading perceptual appearances in nature remained a largely unexplored area of scientific research. Moreover, also the aspects connected with human awareness were left unexplained: for example, the meanings embedded and conveyed by visual shapes. I conduct exploratory experimental works on the qualitative patterns embedded in natural perception (Dadam, Albertazzi, Da Pos, Canal, and Micciolo 2012).

Current collaborations

Irving Biederman 
Osvaldo da Pos
Jan J. Koenderink
Baingio Pinna 
Christopher Tyler 
Gert van Tonder 
Dhanraj Vishwanath 
Johan Wagemans

SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS

2009-2012

Peer reviews papers
Da Pos, O., and Albertazzi, L. 2010a. “It is in the nature of color…”. Seeing and Perceiving 23: 39-73.
Koenderink, J. J., Albertazzi, L., van Doorn, A., Lappin, J., Todd, J., Richards, W., van de Grind, W., Kappers, A., Norman, F., Pont, S., de Vries, S., te Pas, S., Oomes, S., and F. Phillips. 2010. “Does monocular visual space contain planes?” Acta Psychologica 134(1): 40-47.
Albertazzi, L. 2011. “Renata Calabresi: The experimental analysis of the present.” History of Psychology 14(1): 53-79. DOI: 10.1037/a0021104.
Albertazzi, L. 2011. “On seeing. Remarks on Metzger’s Laws of Seeing.” Axiomathes 21: 581-595. DOI: 10.1007/s10516-010-9125-9.
Dellagiacoma, M., Zonton, P., Boato, G. and L. Albertazzi. 2012. “Emotion based classification of natural images”. In ACM International Workshop on Detecting and Exploiting Cultural Diversity on the Social Web (within Conference on Information and Knowledge Management)..
Dadam, J., Albertazzi, L., Canal, L., Da Pos, O., and R. Micciolo “Morphological patterns and their colours.” 2012. Perceptual & Motor Skills.114 (1): 1-15.
Forthcoming
Albertazzi, L. “Qualitative Perceiving.” 2102. Journal of Consciousness Studies.

Chapters in books (peer reviews in international publishing houses)
Albertazzi, L. 2010b. “The subjective origin of causality.” In R. Poli ed. Causality and Motivation, Frankfurt: Ontos Verlag, 75-103. Abstract in Philosophical Index.
Albertazzi, L. “The ontology of perception.” 2010c. In R. Poli, and J. Seibt. eds., TAO-Theory and Applications of Ontology. Vol. 1. Philosophical Perspectives, Berlin-New York Springer, 177-206.
Albertazzi, L. 2010d. “The roots of metaphorical information.” In L. Albertazzi, G. van Tonder, and D. Vishwanath eds., Perception Beyond Inference. The Information Content of Perceptual Processes, Cambridge Mass.: MIT Press, 345-390.
Pinna, B., and Albertazzi, L. 2010. “From grouping to meaning.” 2010. In L. Albertazzi, G. van Tonder, and D. Vishwanath eds., Perception Beyond Inference. The Information Content of Perceptual Processes, Cambridge Mass.: MIT Press, 287-344.
Albertazzi, L., van Tonder, G., and D. Vishwanath. 2010. “Information in perception.” In L. Albertazzi, G. van Tonder, and D. Vishwanath eds., Perception Beyond Inference. The Information Content of Perceptual Processes, Cambridge Mass.: MIT Press, 1-26.
Albertazzi, L. 2011. “Extended space in art and perception.” In R. Manzotti ed., Situated Aesthetics. Art Beyond the Skin, Thorverton: Imprint Academic, 87-103.
Forthcoming
Albertazzi, L. 2012. “Experimental Phenomenology. An Introduction.” In L. Albertazzi ed. The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Experimental Phenomenology. Visual Perception of Shape, Space and Appearance.
Albertazzi, L. 2012. “Appearances form a radical standpoint.” In L. Albertazzi ed. The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Experimental Phenomenology. Visual Perception of Shape, Space and Appearance.

Editor of international collected volumes
Albertazzi, L., van Tonder, G., and D. Vishwanath eds. 2010. Perception Beyond Inference. The Information Content of Perceptual Processes. Cambridge Mass.: MIT Press. Reviews in Mind & Matter, by L. Magnani, 2010; in Leonardo, by A. Ione, 2011; in Cognitive Semiotics by C. Paolucci 2011; in Metapsychology by D. Soerio 2012; in Social and Behavioral Sciences, by R. H. Cormack 2011.
Forthcoming
Albertazzi, L. ed. 2012. The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Experimental Phenomenology. Visual Perception of Shape, Space and Appearance.