Thresholds and Sensation

Flashcards about thresholds and sensation. Includes key terms, definitions and concepts.

Psychophysics

The study of relationships between physical characteristics of a stimulus and the sensory capabilities to detect it.

Absolute Threshold

The minimum amount of physical energy needed in order to notice a stimulus.

Difference Threshold

The smallest difference between two stimuli that people can perceive 50% of the time, also known as JND.

Just Noticeable Difference (JND)

The smallest difference between two stimuli that people can perceive 50% of the time.

Weber's Law

The just noticeable difference is directly proportional to the magnitude of the stimulus.

Absolute threshold for vision

Observing a candle flame at around 50 kilometers away on a clear, dark night

Absolute threshold for hearing

The tick of a watch under quiet conditions at 6 metres away

Absolute threshold for taste

One teaspoon sugar in 7.5 litres of water

Absolute threshold for smell

One drop of perfume diffused in the entire volume of a large apartment

Absolute threshold for touch

The wing of a fly or bee falling on a person’s cheek from a distance of one centimetre