Chapter One: Introduction

Question 1

Sensation

Answer 1

The ability to detect a stimulus and to turn that detection into a private experience

Question 2

Perception

Answer 2

The act of giving meaning to a detected sensation

Question 3

quale

Answer 3

A private conscious experience of sensation or perception.

Question 4

Sensory Organs

Answer 4

Connect to outside world. Bring in new information. Plan movements. Help adapt to changes in environment.

Question 5

Muller

Answer 5

Published elements of Physiology. Law of Specific Nerve Energies (Nature of sensation depends on which sensory fibers are stimulated, not how fibers are stimulated.)

Question 6

Psychophysics

Answer 6

Field of Study between physical stimuli and human response.

Question 7

Fechner

Answer 7

Published Elements of Psychophysics. Absolute threshold and difference threshold. Developed three methods.

Question 8

Method of adjustment

Answer 8

Ask the subject to adjust the intensity of a tone until it is just barely audible. Determine with some measuring device the amount of energy in the tone at that threshold intensity setting. The amount of energy in the tone is the absolute threshold value for the auditory system of the listener. Controlled by subject. Not reliable.

Question 9

Method of Limits

Answer 9

Consists of ascending and descending series of stimulus
intensity presentations. Ascending series starts with a small amount of energy in a tone and cannot be heard by the listener. On each trial the intensity of the tone is increased by a small fixed amount until the listener reports hearing the sound.

Question 10

Method of Constant Stimuli

Answer 10

Produces a psychometric function. This determines what threshold is. Intensities are presented in random order, subject responds yes or no.

Question 11

Absolute Threshold

Answer 11

Presenting stimulus that vary in intensity and having participants respond whether they detected it or not. Minimum amount of stimulation necessary for a person to detect a stimulus 50% of the time.

Question 12

Difference Threshold

Answer 12

Smallest detectable difference between two stimuli

Question 13

Weber

Answer 13

Delta I/i=k (Webers Law). Delta I = difference threshold. K=weber fraction. I = base intensity. JND is a constant fraction of the comparison stimulus.

Question 14

Fechner’s Law

Answer 14

S=kLogR
S=sensation
logR= physical stimulus
k=constant
Magnitude of subjective sensation increases proportionally to the logarithm of the stimulus intensity.

Question 15

Steven’s Power Law

Answer 15

S=cL^n
S = perceived intensity
I = physical intensity
c = constant
n = more important constant 
Magnitude of sensation is proportional to stimulus magnitude raised to an exponent

Question 16

Signal Detection Theory

Answer 16

Quantifies the response of an observer to the presentation of a signal in the presence of noise. D prime. Criterion of Observer. Subject sets criterion to max gains.

Question 17

Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve

Answer 17

In studies of signal detection, the graphical plot of the hit rate as a function of the false alarm rate. Flat line - observer cannot tell difference between presence and absence of signal. As sensitivity increases, curve bows upward. Hit vs. FA.

Question 18

Fourier Analysis

Answer 18

How complex signals can be simplified to simpler signals

Question 19

Manipulating Bias

Answer 19

change payoff, rating system

Question 20

Removing Bias

Answer 20

Two Alternative Forced Choice (2AFC). Always yes or no.