PSYCHOPHYSICS

PSYCHOPHYSICS

 ONE OF PSYCHOLOGY’S OLDEST AREAS OF RESEARCH IS IN PSYCHOPHYSICS, THE STUDY OF SENSORY

THRESHOLDS.
 PSYCHOPHYSICS IS THE SUBFIELD OF PSYCHOLOGY DEVOTED TO THE STUDY OF PHYSICAL STIMULI AND THEIR
INTERACTION WITH SENSORY SYSTEMS.
 PSYCHOPHYSICS QUANTITATIVELY INVESTIGATES HOW MUCH OF A STIMULI WE CAN DETECT AND HOW WE
DETECT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN STIMULI IN THE ENVIRONMENT WITH OUR SENSORY SYSTEMS, INCLUDING
VISION, AUDITORY, TASTE, SMELL, AND PAIN.
 PSYCHOPHYSICS IS THE SYSTEMATIC STUDY OF SENSORY CAPACITIES BY DETERMINING BEHAVIORAL
RESPONSES TO PHYSICAL CHANGES IN SENSORY STIMULI.
 PSYCHOPHYSICS DEALS WITH THE NATURE OF THE QUANTITATIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHYSICAL AND
MENTAL QUALITIES.
 HISTORY

 THE FIELD OF PSYCHOPHYSICS WAS PIONEERED BY GUSTAV FECHNER IN THE 1860S.

 THE TERM "PSYCHOPHYSICS" WAS COINED BY GUSTAV THEODOR FECHNER, A PHYSICIST AND PHILOSOPHER, WHEN
HE PUBLISHED "ELEMENTE DER PSYCHOPHYSIK" IN 1860.
 HE STATED THAT THE TERM WAS MADE TO CONNECT PHYSICAL STIMULI TO THE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF
CONSCIOUSNESS, PARTICULARLY SENSATION.
 FECHNER INTRODUCED VARIOUS METHODS FOR QUANTITATIVELY MEASURING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
STIMULI AND PERCEPTION.
 FECHNER'S METHODS INCLUDED THE METHOD OF LIMITS, THE METHOD OF ADJUSTMENT, AND THE METHOD OF
CONSTANT STIMULI.
 EACH METHOD MEASURES OUR RESPONSE TO A STIMULUS IN A DIFFERENT WAY. THEY ARE USED TO MEASURE
ABSOLUTE THRESHOLD, OR THE SMALLEST DETECTABLE AMOUNT OF A STIMULUS.
 CONTINUATION…

ERNST WEBER (1795-1878)
•- EXPERIMENTS WITH WEIGHTS (1830'S)
•- JUST NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCES (JNDS) ARE
•PROPORTIONAL TO STIMULUS MAGNITUDE
•AL = K I (WEBER'S LAW)

•. GUSTAV FECHNER (1801-1887)

•HOW TO MEASURE SENSATIONS?
•- NEED A ZERO AND A UNIT
•- ZERO = ABSOLUTE THRESHOLD
•- UNIT = DIFFERENCE THRESHOLD (JND )

•- WEBER/FECHNER LAW (S = K LOG 1 )

•- "ELEMENTS OF PSYCHOPHYSICS" (1860)
•"CLASSIC" PSYCHOPHYSICAL METHODS
 PSYCHOPHYSICAL METHODS

OBJECTIVE MEASUREMENT OF SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE

• PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF • PERCEPTUAL APPEARANCES

OBJECTS (LENGTH, WEIGHT, TO OBSERVER (SIZE,
INTENSITY) HEAVINESS, BRIGHTNESS)
• MEASURED DIRECTLY • INFERRED FROM
psychophysical methods: tools to quantify the relationships between physical stimulation
and perceptual appearances OBSERVER’S RESPONSES
 PSYCHOPHYSICAL QUANTITIES

HOW BRIGHT HOW MUCH BRIGHTER TWICE BRIGHTER

absolute Difference
Supra threshold
threshold threshold(JND)
apperance
 ABSOLUTE THRESHOLD Absolute
Threshold
• GUSTAV FECHNER (GERMAN SCIENTIST & PHILOSOPHER)
STUDIED FAINT STIMULI AND CALLED THEM OUR ABSOLUTE
THRESHOLD
• ABSOLUTE THRESHOLD = THE MINIMUM STIMULATION
Intensity
NECESSARY TO DETECT A PARTICULAR LIGHT, SOUND,
PRESSURE, TASTE OR ODOR 50% OF THE TIME. (LISTENING TO NO NO NO YES
PITCHES DURING A HEARING TEST) YES
• SENSITIVITY TO HIGH-PITCHED SOUNDS DECLINES WITH
NORMAL AGING (MOSQUITO  RING TONES---YOUNGER
GENERATIONS CAN HEAR CERTAIN RING TONES WHEN OLDER
GENERATIONS CANNOT)
 ABSOLUTE THRESHOLD

 TASTE: 1 GRAM (.0356 OUNCE) OF TABLE SALT IN 500 LITERS (529 QUARTS) OF
WATER
 SMELL: 1 DROP OF PERFUME DIFFUSED THROUGHOUT A THREE-ROOM
APARTMENT
 TOUCH: THE WING OF A BEE FALLING ON YOUR CHEEK FROM A HEIGHT OF 1CM
(.39 INCH)
 HEARING: THE TICK OF A WATCH FROM 6 METERS (20 FEET) IN VERY QUIET
CONDITIONS
 VISION: A CANDLE FLAME SEEN FROM 50KM (30 MILES) ON A CLEAR, DARK
NIGHT
 THRESHOLD SIGNAL DETECTION

 PREDICTS HOW AND WHEN WE DETECT THE PRESENCE OF A FAINT STIMULUS

(SIGNAL) AMID BACKGROUND NOISE (OTHER STIMULATION).
 SIGNAL DETECTION THEORY: DETECTING A WEAK SIGNAL DEPENDS ON THE
SIGNAL’S STRENGTH & PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE
 SDT ASSUMES THAT THERE IS NO SINGLE ABSOLUTE THRESHOLD AND
DETECTION DEPENDS ON PERSON’S EXPERIENCE EXPECTATIONS MOTIVATION
LEVEL OF FATIGUE
 THRESHOLDS SUBLIMINAL STIMUALTION

 “BELOW THE THRESHOLD” STIMULI

 AN INVISIBLE WORD CAN BRIEFLY PRIME (THE ACTIVATION—OFTEN UNCONSCIOUSLY—OF CERTAIN
ASSOCIATIONS, THUS PREDISPOSING ONE’S PERCEPTION, MEMORY OR RESPONSE
 IF WE ARE EXPOSED TO STIMULI OF A SPECIFIC SUBJECT, WE ARE MORE LIKELY TO RECOGNIZE
INFORMATION ABOUT THAT SUBJECT IN THE ENVIRONMENT
 SOMETIMES WE FEEL WHAT WE DO NOT KNOW AND CANNOT DESCRIBE (SMELLING FOUL ODORS)
 MUCH OF OUR INFORMATION PROCESSING OCCURS AUTOMATICALLY, OUT OF SIGHT, OFF THE RADAR
SCREEN OF OUR CONSCIOUS MIND
 IF WE DID A BRAIN SCAN, YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO DETECT BRAIN ACTIVITY WITH A FAINT, BRIEF
STIMULUS
 THRESHOLD DIFFRENCE THRESHOLD

 DIFFERENCE THRESHOLD
 JUST NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE (THE MINIMUM DIFFERENCE A PERSON OR ANIMAL
CAN DETECT BETWEEN ANY TWO STIMULI HALF THE TIME)
 INCREASES WITH THE SIZE OF THE STIMULUS
 ADD 1 OZ TO A 10 OZ WEIGHT = DETECTABLE DIFFERENCE VS. ADD 1 OZ TO A 100 OZ
WEIGHT = NON-DETECTABLE DIFFERENCE
 EX: MUSICIANS CAN DETECT MINUTE DISCREPANCIES IN AN INSTRUMENT’S TUNING,
STUDENTS CAN DETECT THEIR FRIENDS VOICES OVER ALL OTHERS IN THE HALLWAY
 DIFFRENCE THRESHOLD

 THE SMALLEST DETECTABLE CHANGE IN A STIMULUS

 ALSO CALLED THE JUST NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE (JND)
 DIFFERENCE THRESHOLD: MINIMUM DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TWO STIMULI
REQUIRED FOR DETECTION 50% OF THE TIME, ALSO CALLED JUST NOTICEABLE
DIFFERENCE (JND).
 SENSORY ADAPTAITION

 OUR DIMINISHING SENSITIVITY TO AN UNCHANGING STIMULUS (SMELL AN ODOR WHEN WALKING IN TO YOUR
NEIGHBOR’S HOME, BUT AFTER A FEW MOMENTS, YOU DON’T NOTICE IT ANY MORE)
 AFTER CONSTANT EXPOSURE TO A STIMULUS, OUR NERVE CELLS FIRE LESS FREQUENTLY
 EX: WHAT WOULD YOUR DAY BE LIKE IF YOU CONCENTRATED ON FEELING DIFFERENT ITEMS YOU WEAR EACH DAY? DO
YOU FEEL YOUR SOCKS GRIPPING YOUR ANKLES MORE, OR YOUR BRACELET OR WATCH TIGHTENING AROUND YOUR
WRIST?
 WE FOCUS MORE ON CHANGES IN OUR ENVIRONMENT INSTEAD OF REPETITIVE BEHAVIORS
 AN ADJUSTMENT OF THE SENSES TO THE LEVEL OF STIMULATION THEY ARE RECEIVING
EVER FORGOTTEN YOU ARE WEARING A WATCH?
EVER GOTTEN USED TO A SMELL?
 THEN WHY DON’T THINGS DISAPPEAR FROM YOUR VISION
 HABITUATION

 LOWER CENTERS OF THE BRAIN FILTERING SENSORY STIMULATION IGNORE OR

PREVENT CONSCIOUS ATTENTION TO STIMULI THAT DO NOT CHANGE.
 SENSORY RECEPTORS RESPOND TO STIMULATION BUT NO SIGNAL IS SENT TO
THE CORTEX
 SENSORY ADAPTAION

 SENSORY ADAPTATION IS THE DIMINISHING RESPONSIVENESS OF OUR SENSORY

SYSTEMS TO PROLONGED STIMULATION.

 UNLESS IT IS QUITE INTENSE OR PAINFUL, STIMULATION THAT PERSISTS WITHOUT

CHANGE IN INTENSITY USUALLY SHIFTS TO THE BACKGROUND OF OUR AWARENESS

 UNTIL NOW, MANY OF YOU ARE PROBABLY UNAWARE THAT YOUR SENSE OF TOUCH
HAD ADAPTED TO THE PRESSURE OF THE CHAIR AGAINST YOUR LEGS.
 METHODS OF MEASURING THRESHOLD

 METHOD OF ADJUSTEMENT
 METHODS OF LIMITS
 METHOD OF CONSTANT STIMULI
 METHOD OF ADJUSTEMENT

 ASK OBSERVER TO ADJUST THE INTENSITY OF THE LIGHT UNTIL THEY JUDGE IT
TO BE JUST BARELY DETECTABLE
EXAMPLE: YOU GET FITTED FOR A NEW EYE GLASSES PRESCRIPTION. TYPICALLY
THE DOCTOR DROPS IN DIFFERENT LENSES AND ASKS YOU IF THIS LENS IS BETTER
THAN THAT ONE.
 METHOD OF LIMITS

 START WITH A LEVEL THAT YOU THINK THE LISTENER WILL HEAR
 IF THEY HEAR THAT ONE, THEN PRESENT A LOWER LEVEL
 - IF THEY HEAR THAT ONE, THEN PRESENT A LOWER LEVEL

 - CONTINUE UNTIL THE LISTENER SAYS SHE CAN'T HEAR THE STIMULUS
 - REPEAT (BUT SOMETIMES START WITH A LEVEL YOU THINK SHE WON'T HEAR
AND GO UP)
 METHOD OF CONSTANT STIMULI

• METHOD OF CONSTANT STIMULI

 CHOOSE STIMULI OF SEVERAL VALUES, SOME THAT YOU THINK PEOPLE WILL
ALWAYS BE ABLE TO HEAR, SOME THAT YOU THINK THAT THEY WILL NEVER BE
ABLE TO HEAR, AND SOME IN BETWEEN.
 PRESENT THESE STIMULI TO LISTENERS, ASK WHETHER THEY HEAR EACH ONE
OR NOT
 RECORD THE PROPORTION OF TIMES THEY REPORT HEARING EACH ONE
 WEBER’S LAW

Two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage (rather than a

constant amount), to be perceived as different. Weber fraction: k = dI/I.
 WEBER’S LAW: ERNEST WEBER—FOR A DIFFERENCE TO BE PERCEPTIBLE, TWO
STIMULI MUST DIFFER BY A CONSTANT PROPORTION (NOT A CONSTANT
AMOUNT)
 THE EXACT PORTION VARIES, DEPENDING ON THE STIMULUS
 EXAMPLE:IF YOU HAVE 20 GLASS BEADS AND SOMEONE STEALS TEN, YOU'LL
DEFINITELY NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE. IF YOU HAVE 200 GLASS BEADS AND
SOMEONE STEALS TEN, YOU PROBABLY WON'T.
 WEBER’S LAW
 STATES THAT THE DIFFERENCE THRESHOLD IS A CONSTANT PROPORTION OF THE SPECIFIC
STIMULUS
 SENSES VARY IN THEIR SENSITIVITY TO CHANGES IN STIMULATION
 MORE THAN JUST SENSATION IT HAS TO DO WITH SALES.
 WEBER SUGGESTED JUST NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCES AS THE UNIT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL INTENSITY

 WEBER PROCEDURE:
 PRESENT TWO STIMULI DIFFERING ON ONE DIMENSION (E.G., WEIGHTS W1AND W2)

 SUBJECT INDICATES WHICH IS HEAVIER

 MODIFY W2 UNTIL IT IS NOTICED
 WEBER’S LAW

 WEBER'S FRACTION HOLDS THAT JND'S ARE

 PROPORTIONAL TO PHYSICAL STIMULUS INTENSITY
 WEBER FRACTION (1860)
 60 CANDLES REQUIRE 1 CANDLE FOR ONE JND
 120 CANDLES REQUIRE 2 CANDLES FOR ONE JND
 300 CANDLES REQUIRE 5 CANDLES
 600 REQUIRE 10
 FECHNER’S LAW

 A MATHEMATICAL FORMULA RELATING SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE TO CHANGES

IN PHYSICAL STIMULUS INTENSITY: SPECIFICALLY, THE SENSATION
EXPERIENCED IS PROPORTIONAL TO THE LOGARITHM OF STIMULUS
MAGNITUDE.
 IT IS DERIVED FROM WEBER’S LAW AND EXPRESSED AS S = K LOG I
 S IS THE SUBJECTIVE, PERCEIVED, PSYCHOLOGICAL INTENSITY
 K IS A CONSTANT ASSOCIATED WITH A SPECIFIC SENSORY MODALITY
 I IS THE PHYSICAL INTENSITY AS MEASURED BY AN APPROPRIATE MEASURING
DEVICE.
 FECHNER’S LAW

 GUSTAV FECHNER DERIVED A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE INTENSITY OF A SPECIFIC STIMULUS AND THE
PERCEIVED (ESTIMATED) MAGNITUDE. TO DERIVE THIS RELATIONSHIP, FECHNER MADE TWO IMPORTANT
ASSUMPTIONS:
1. THAT THE JND IS A CONSTANT FRACTION OF THE STIMULUS (I.E., WEBER'S LAW HOLDS), AND
2. THAT THE JND IS THE BASIC UNIT OF PERCEIVED MAGNITUDE, SO THAT ONE JND IS PERCEPTUALLY EQUAL TO
ANOTHER JND.
 FECHNER HYPOTHESIZED THAT THE MAGNITUDE OF A STIMULUS CAN BE DETERMINED BY STARTING AT THE
DETECTION THRESHOLD (JND) AND THEN ADDING JNDS. FROM THIS, FECHNER DERIVED THE FOLLOWING
MATHEMATICAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERCEIVED MAGNITUDE (S) AND STIMULUS INTENSITY (I):
 S = K LOG I
 FECHNER’S LAW

• EXAMPLE, A LIGHT THAT IS 10 JND UNITS ABOVE THE DETECTION THRESHOLD

SHOULD BE PERCEIVED AS BEING TWICE AS BRIGHT AS A LIGHT WITH AN
INTENSITY OF 5 JND UNITS ABOVE THE DETECTION THRESHOLD. IF WE SET K = 1
AND I = 10, THEN S= 1.0 BECAUSE THE LOG OF 10 = 1.0. HOWEVER, IF THE
INTENSITY OF LIGHT IS DOUBLED TO 20, THEN S = 1.3 (NOT 2.0). THUS, DOUBLING
THE LIGHT'S INTENSITY DOES NOT DOUBLE THE PERCEIVED MAGNITUDE OF
BRIGHTNESS
 STEVEN POWER’S LAW

 IN 1957 S.S.STEVENS PROPOSED A NEW LAW TO RELATE SENSATION MAGNITUDE TO STIMULUS INTENSITY
 STEVEN POWERS LAW IS A PSYCHOPHYSICAL CONCEPT THAT STATES THAT THE STRENGTH OF A PHYSICAL
STIMULUS IS PROPORTIONAL TO THE SENSATION THAT IS PERCEIVED BY THE RECIPIENT. THE MAGNITUDE OF THE
SENSATION
b INCREASES IN PREDICTABLE AND PROPORTIONAL MANNER TO THE STRENGTH OF THE STIMULUS.
P=C.I

P IS EQUAL TO THE PERCEIVED MAGNITUDE-THAT IS, HOW BRIGHT WE PERCEIVE A LIGHT TO BE OR HOW SWEET A
SUGAR SOLUTION TO BE
I IS EQUAL TO THE INTENSITY OF THE ACTUAL STIMULI
THE EXPONENT B EQUALS THE POWER TO WHICH THE INTENSITY IS RAISED
THANK YOU