Testing name swapping: Is Beyoncé really famous?

All the experimental work on the reference of proper names during the last 20 years has utilised setups modelled after Kripke’s Gödel and Jonah cases. Doubts remain, however, about the viability of the setup. This paper reports the results from a new experiment, using a different and novel kind of s...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inPhilosophical studies
Main Authors Haukioja, Jussi, Toorman, Jeske
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published 17.06.2025
Online AccessGet full text
ISSN0031-8116
1573-0883
1573-0883
DOI10.1007/s11098-025-02360-6

Cover

Abstract All the experimental work on the reference of proper names during the last 20 years has utilised setups modelled after Kripke’s Gödel and Jonah cases. Doubts remain, however, about the viability of the setup. This paper reports the results from a new experiment, using a different and novel kind of setup. The novel setup is simultaneously used on proper names, artefact terms, and definitional terms, with the last two categories serving as controls. Our vignettes describe cases of potential reference swaps, where two referring expressions begin, due to a mix-up, to be used with the intention of referring to each others’ original referents. In otherwise analogous cases, it was found that a majority of Western subjects understand proper names to continue to refer to their original referents, whereas this was not the case for the two other classes of expression. The results indicate, first, that this experimental setup, unlike earlier ones, succeeds in distinguishing between different mechanisms of reference determination, and second, that proper names indeed do refer differently from the other classes of expression that were used.
AbstractList All the experimental work on the reference of proper names during the last 20 years has utilised setups modelled after Kripke’s Gödel and Jonah cases. Doubts remain, however, about the viability of the setup. This paper reports the results from a new experiment, using a different and novel kind of setup. The novel setup is simultaneously used on proper names, artefact terms, and definitional terms, with the last two categories serving as controls. Our vignettes describe cases of potential reference swaps, where two referring expressions begin, due to a mix-up, to be used with the intention of referring to each others’ original referents. In otherwise analogous cases, it was found that a majority of Western subjects understand proper names to continue to refer to their original referents, whereas this was not the case for the two other classes of expression. The results indicate, first, that this experimental setup, unlike earlier ones, succeeds in distinguishing between different mechanisms of reference determination, and second, that proper names indeed do refer differently from the other classes of expression that were used.
Author Toorman, Jeske
Haukioja, Jussi
Author_xml – sequence: 1
  givenname: Jussi
  orcidid: 0000-0002-3906-8278
  surname: Haukioja
  fullname: Haukioja, Jussi
– sequence: 2
  givenname: Jeske
  orcidid: 0000-0001-5700-8335
  surname: Toorman
  fullname: Toorman, Jeske
BookMark eNqNj01OwzAQRi1UJNLCBVj5AoZx7PiHDYKKQqVKbMracpMxKkqcKG5V5Uicg4sRCAdgMTOaxfv0vTmZxTYiIdccbjiAvk2cgzUM8mIcoYCpM5LxQgsGxogZyQAEZ4ZzdUHmKX0AgLKFzAjfYjrs4zuNvkGaTr7rxu-OrhN9xKGN5dcn7dHX9UCDb9pjur8k58HXCa_-7oK8rZ62yxe2eX1eLx82rMylPDChRZAoLZamRG9F4e0OQtBQBB2UlIqLUPkiQAW5RhOE9T5HW40LS70TYkHElHuMnR9OYwXX9fvG94Pj4H6s3WTtRmv3a-3USOUTVfZtSj2G_0Df3mNcmA
Cites_doi 10.1016/j.cognition.2017.10.022
10.1093/aristoteliansupp/47.1.187
10.1016/j.cognition.2003.10.003
10.7312/devi90836
10.1093/analys/anp095
10.1111/cogs.12609
10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199609192.003.0005
10.1093/analys/ann007
ContentType Journal Article
DBID AAYXX
CITATION
ADTOC
UNPAY
DOI 10.1007/s11098-025-02360-6
DatabaseName CrossRef
Unpaywall for CDI: Periodical Content
Unpaywall
DatabaseTitle CrossRef
DatabaseTitleList CrossRef
Database_xml – sequence: 1
  dbid: UNPAY
  name: Unpaywall
  url: https://proxy.k.utb.cz/login?url=https://unpaywall.org/
  sourceTypes: Open Access Repository
DeliveryMethod fulltext_linktorsrc
Discipline Philosophy
EISSN 1573-0883
ExternalDocumentID 10.1007/s11098-025-02360-6
10_1007_s11098_025_02360_6
GroupedDBID -DZ
-ET
-~C
-~X
.86
06D
0R~
0VY
123
199
1N0
203
29O
2J2
2JN
2JY
2KG
2KM
2LR
2~H
30V
4.4
406
408
409
40D
40E
5VS
67Z
6NX
78A
85S
8TC
8UJ
95-
95.
95~
96X
AAAVM
AABHQ
AACDK
AACJB
AACKI
AAGAY
AAHNG
AAIAL
AAJBT
AAJKR
AANZL
AAOTU
AAPKM
AARTL
AASML
AATNV
AATVU
AAUYE
AAWCG
AAYIU
AAYQN
AAYXX
AAYZH
ABAKF
ABBBX
ABBRH
ABBXA
ABDBE
ABDBF
ABDZT
ABECU
ABFSG
ABFTV
ABHLI
ABHQN
ABJNI
ABJOX
ABKCH
ABKTR
ABMNI
ABMQK
ABNWP
ABQBU
ABRTQ
ABSXP
ABTEG
ABTHY
ABTKH
ABTMW
ABWNU
ABXPI
ACAOD
ACDTI
ACGFS
ACHSB
ACHXU
ACKNC
ACMDZ
ACMLO
ACNCT
ACOKC
ACOMO
ACPIV
ACREJ
ACSTC
ACZOJ
ADHHG
ADHIR
ADIMF
ADKNI
ADKPE
ADMHG
ADNWM
ADRFC
ADTPH
ADURQ
ADYFF
ADZKW
AEFQL
AEGAL
AEGNC
AEJHL
AEJRE
AEMSY
AEOHA
AEPYU
AESKC
AETLH
AEVLU
AEXYK
AEZWR
AFBBN
AFDZB
AFHIU
AFLOW
AFOHR
AFQWF
AFWTZ
AFZKB
AGAYW
AGDGC
AGJBK
AGMZJ
AGQEE
AGQMX
AGRTI
AGWIL
AGWZB
AGYKE
AHAVH
AHBYD
AHPBZ
AHSBF
AHWEU
AHYZX
AIAKS
AIGIU
AIIXL
AILAN
AITGF
AIXLP
AJRNO
AJZVZ
ALMA_UNASSIGNED_HOLDINGS
ALWAN
AMKLP
AMXSW
AMYLF
AMYQR
AOCGG
ARMRJ
ASPBG
ATHPR
AVWKF
AXYYD
AYFIA
AYQZM
AZFZN
B-.
BA0
BGNMA
BSONS
CITATION
CS3
CSCUP
DDRTE
DL5
DNIVK
DPUIP
DU5
EAP
EBLON
EBS
EIOEI
ESBYG
ESX
F5P
FEDTE
FERAY
FFXSO
FIGPU
FNLPD
FRRFC
FWDCC
GGCAI
GGRSB
GJIRD
GNWQR
GQ7
GQ8
GXS
HF~
HG5
HG6
HMJXF
HQYDN
HRMNR
HVGLF
HZ~
I09
IHE
IJ-
IKXTQ
ITM
IWAJR
IXC
IZIGR
IZQ
I~X
I~Z
J-C
J0Z
JAF
JBSCW
JCJTX
JZLTJ
K50
KDC
KOV
LAK
LLZTM
M4Y
MA-
MQGED
N9A
NB0
NPVJJ
NQJWS
NU0
O93
O9G
O9I
OAM
P19
P2P
P9Q
PF-
PT4
PT5
QOK
QOS
R-Y
R89
R9I
RHV
ROL
RPX
RSV
S16
S1Z
S27
S3B
SAP
SDA
SDH
SDM
SHS
SHX
SISQX
SJYHP
SNE
SNPRN
SNX
SOHCF
SOJ
SPISZ
SRMVM
SSLCW
STPWE
SZN
T13
TN5
TSG
TSK
TSV
TUC
U2A
UG4
UOJIU
UTJUX
UZXMN
VC2
VFIZW
W23
W48
WH7
WK8
YLTOR
Z45
ZMTXR
ZMU
~EX
-Y2
.4H
1SB
2.D
28-
2P1
2VQ
41~
5QI
8G5
AABKS
AANTL
AARHV
AAWJA
AAYTO
ABBHK
ABKTN
ABQSL
ABSDQ
ABULA
ABUWG
ABXSQ
ACBXY
ACIOK
ACJZB
ACNTW
ACUHS
ACWYQ
ACYUM
ADHKG
ADTOC
ADULT
AEBTG
AEFIE
AEKMD
AEUPB
AFEXP
AFFNX
AFGCZ
AFKRA
AGGDS
AGQPQ
AHKAY
AIMQZ
AJBLW
AKNXY
ALPBS
AVQMV
AZQEC
B0M
BBWZM
BDATZ
BENPR
BPHCQ
CAG
CCPQU
COF
DWQXO
EAD
EAS
ECVKH
EHI
EJD
EMK
EPL
FINBP
FSGXE
GB0
GNUQQ
GUQSH
H13
HMHOC
HYQOX
H~9
IPSME
JAAYA
JBMMH
JENOY
JHFFW
JKQEH
JLEZI
JLXEF
JPL
JST
KOW
LIQON
LPU
M1D
M2O
MLAFT
MVM
N2Q
NDZJH
O-F
O-J
O9-
OVD
P0-
PEJEM
PGAAH
PHGZM
PHGZT
PMFND
PMKZF
PQQKQ
PROAC
PVKVW
Q2X
Q5E
R4E
RNI
RZC
RZD
RZK
S26
S28
SA0
SCLPG
T16
TEORI
UBC
UKR
UNPAY
WK6
ZWUKE
ZY4
~8M
~P2
~P3
~PO
ID FETCH-LOGICAL-c244t-373f4e49ec8cea935a9b0ff705f7f644613fda5f0d027e8f39aa2e9da2eec7b33
IEDL.DBID UNPAY
ISSN 0031-8116
1573-0883
IngestDate Tue Aug 19 23:38:19 EDT 2025
Wed Oct 01 06:02:10 EDT 2025
IsDoiOpenAccess true
IsOpenAccess true
IsPeerReviewed true
IsScholarly true
Language English
License cc-by
LinkModel DirectLink
MergedId FETCHMERGED-LOGICAL-c244t-373f4e49ec8cea935a9b0ff705f7f644613fda5f0d027e8f39aa2e9da2eec7b33
ORCID 0000-0002-3906-8278
0000-0001-5700-8335
OpenAccessLink https://proxy.k.utb.cz/login?url=https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11098-025-02360-6.pdf
ParticipantIDs unpaywall_primary_10_1007_s11098_025_02360_6
crossref_primary_10_1007_s11098_025_02360_6
ProviderPackageCode CITATION
AAYXX
PublicationCentury 2000
PublicationDate 2025-06-17
PublicationDateYYYYMMDD 2025-06-17
PublicationDate_xml – month: 06
  year: 2025
  text: 2025-06-17
  day: 17
PublicationDecade 2020
PublicationTitle Philosophical studies
PublicationYear 2025
References E Machery (2360_CR9) 2004; 92
M Devitt (2360_CR2) 2018; 42
M Johnson (2360_CR5) 2014
M Devitt (2360_CR1) 1981
2360_CR3
G Evans (2360_CR4) 1973; 47
SA Kripke (2360_CR6) 1980
G Martí (2360_CR11) 2009; 69
J Li (2360_CR7) 2018; 171
E Machery (2360_CR8) 2024
E Machery (2360_CR10) 2009; 69
2360_CR13
2360_CR12
References_xml – ident: 2360_CR12
– volume: 171
  start-page: 108
  year: 2018
  ident: 2360_CR7
  publication-title: Cognition
  doi: 10.1016/j.cognition.2017.10.022
– ident: 2360_CR13
– volume: 47
  start-page: 187
  issue: 1
  year: 1973
  ident: 2360_CR4
  publication-title: Aristotelian Society Supplementary
  doi: 10.1093/aristoteliansupp/47.1.187
– volume: 92
  start-page: B1
  issue: 3
  year: 2004
  ident: 2360_CR9
  publication-title: Cognition
  doi: 10.1016/j.cognition.2003.10.003
– volume-title: Designation
  year: 1981
  ident: 2360_CR1
  doi: 10.7312/devi90836
– volume-title: Naming and Necessity
  year: 1980
  ident: 2360_CR6
– volume: 69
  start-page: 689
  year: 2009
  ident: 2360_CR10
  publication-title: Analysis
  doi: 10.1093/analys/anp095
– volume: 42
  start-page: 1552
  issue: 5
  year: 2018
  ident: 2360_CR2
  publication-title: Cognitive Science
  doi: 10.1111/cogs.12609
– start-page: 68
  volume-title: Intuitions
  year: 2014
  ident: 2360_CR5
  doi: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199609192.003.0005
– ident: 2360_CR3
– volume: 69
  start-page: 42
  year: 2009
  ident: 2360_CR11
  publication-title: Analysis
  doi: 10.1093/analys/ann007
– start-page: 183
  volume-title: The Compact Compendium of Experimental Philosophy
  year: 2024
  ident: 2360_CR8
SSID ssj0006954
Score 2.3872678
SecondaryResourceType online_first
Snippet All the experimental work on the reference of proper names during the last 20 years has utilised setups modelled after Kripke’s Gödel and Jonah cases. Doubts...
SourceID unpaywall
crossref
SourceType Open Access Repository
Index Database
Title Testing name swapping: Is Beyoncé really famous?
URI https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11098-025-02360-6.pdf
UnpaywallVersion publishedVersion
hasFullText 1
inHoldings 1
isFullTextHit
isPrint
journalDatabaseRights – providerCode: PRVLSH
  databaseName: SpringerLink Journals
  customDbUrl:
  mediaType: online
  eissn: 1573-0883
  dateEnd: 99991231
  omitProxy: false
  ssIdentifier: ssj0006954
  issn: 1573-0883
  databaseCode: AFBBN
  dateStart: 19970301
  isFulltext: true
  providerName: Library Specific Holdings
– providerCode: PRVAVX
  databaseName: SpringerLINK - Czech Republic Consortium
  customDbUrl:
  eissn: 1573-0883
  dateEnd: 99991231
  omitProxy: false
  ssIdentifier: ssj0006954
  issn: 1573-0883
  databaseCode: AGYKE
  dateStart: 19970101
  isFulltext: true
  titleUrlDefault: http://link.springer.com
  providerName: Springer Nature
– providerCode: PRVAVX
  databaseName: SpringerLink Journals (ICM)
  customDbUrl:
  eissn: 1573-0883
  dateEnd: 99991231
  omitProxy: true
  ssIdentifier: ssj0006954
  issn: 1573-0883
  databaseCode: U2A
  dateStart: 19970101
  isFulltext: true
  titleUrlDefault: http://www.springerlink.com/journals/
  providerName: Springer Nature
link http://utb.summon.serialssolutions.com/2.0.0/link/0/eLvHCXMwpV27TsMwFL2i7QALb0R5VBnYwG2cl2MWVAEVMFQdWqlMkePYHSihoqlQ-SO-gx_jOml4iQHE4sWOldzYvsf2PecCHElHB65gnGBhE49pSgQLOEn82FG2dAKc7CbaohtcDbyboT9cgouSC5NHu5dXkgWnwag0pVlrkujWB_GNGh1Mk4rVKKDjBqiJ1RWoBT4i8irUBt1e-7ZQZKQkpHkGVOozl-CkchfcmZ87-uKflmfpRMyfxHj8yel01kCVr1vEmtw1Z1nclM_flBz_-z3rsLpApVa7GEYbsKTSTVjplWkO5ltA-0aOIx1ZqbhX1vRJGF2H0al1PbVyEox8fbEQf47Hc0sLc5xwtg2DzmX__Ios0i0QiT4-w6XG1Z7yuJKhVIK7vuCxrTWzfc00wiZ0_DoRvrYT3MqqULtcCEfxBAslWey6O1BNH1K1C5bk-GxME0oTx4s9xu1QUI2rSWjOT4Rdh-PSyNGkUNWIPvSTjS0itEWU2yIK6nDy_h9-0Xzvb833YcXJDR8Qyg6gmj3O1CECjSxuQGXgtBuL0fQGr-7KZw
linkProvider Unpaywall
linkToUnpaywall http://utb.summon.serialssolutions.com/2.0.0/link/0/eLvHCXMwpV27TsMwFL0q7QALb0R5KQMbuI3zcsyCKh4qDFUHKpUpchybgRAqmqoqf8R38GNcJw0vMYBYvNixkhvb99i-51yAQ-nowBWMEyxs4jFNiWABJ4kfO8qWToCT3URb9ILuwLse-sManFdcmCLavbqSLDkNRqUpy9ujRLc_iG_U6GCaVKxGAR03QC2sXoBG4CMir0Nj0Ot3bktFRkpCWmRApT5zCU4qd86d-bmjL_5pcZKNxGwq0vST07lcAVW9bhlrct-a5HFLPn9Tcvzv96zC8hyVWp1yGK1BTWXrsNSv0hzMNoDeGDmO7M7KxIOyxlNhdB3uTqyrsVWQYOTri4X4M01nlhbmOOF0EwaXFzdnXTJPt0Ak-vgclxpXe8rjSoZSCe76gse21sz2NdMIm9Dx60T42k5wK6tC7XIhHMUTLJRksetuQT17zNQ2WJLjszFNKE0cL_YYt0NBNa4moTk_EXYTjiojR6NSVSP60E82tojQFlFhiyhowvH7f_hF852_Nd-FJacwfEAo24N6_jRR-wg08vhgPo7eAPcjyX4
openUrl ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fsummon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Testing+name+swapping%3A+Is+Beyonc%C3%A9+really+famous%3F&rft.jtitle=Philosophical+studies&rft.au=Haukioja%2C+Jussi&rft.au=Toorman%2C+Jeske&rft.date=2025-06-17&rft.issn=0031-8116&rft.eissn=1573-0883&rft_id=info:doi/10.1007%2Fs11098-025-02360-6&rft.externalDBID=n%2Fa&rft.externalDocID=10_1007_s11098_025_02360_6
thumbnail_l http://covers-cdn.summon.serialssolutions.com/index.aspx?isbn=/lc.gif&issn=0031-8116&client=summon
thumbnail_m http://covers-cdn.summon.serialssolutions.com/index.aspx?isbn=/mc.gif&issn=0031-8116&client=summon
thumbnail_s http://covers-cdn.summon.serialssolutions.com/index.aspx?isbn=/sc.gif&issn=0031-8116&client=summon