PSYC 212 Lecture : PSYC212- Lectures 1-14.docx
Document Summary
Yes (e. g. it is possible to measure the intensity of a light stimulus) No (e. g. do you see a red light as the same red as another?) Provides an estimate of the perceptual quality of a stimulus in numerical terms (allows it to be compared with other stimuli) Allows comparisons among different individuals and different species. There are multiple possible functions that indicate an increase in our perception of a stimulus as the physical intensity of the stimulus increases. As stimulus intensity increase, perceived intensity increases by a constant amount across the range. As stimulus intensity increases, changes in perceived intensity increases slowly at low values but increases dramatically after a certain point. As stimulus intensity increases, changes in perceived intensity increases dramatically at low values but increases much more slowly after a certain point. Smoothly tapering function that has an upper and lower limit, and a quasi-linear region of change in the middle- very characteristic of perceptual functions.