Psychophysics and Analyses of Signal Detection

摘要: Psychophysics is the branch of psychology concerned with relation between physical properties events and sensations they give rise to. The subject has two major fields inquiry: global psychophysics, which studies readily dis­ criminable stimuli that differ by large amounts, local fine differences barely discriminable (Luce & Krum­ hansl, 1988). Global psychophysics psychological scaling, whereas detection discrimination. Be­ cause this chapter signal theory, it outlines some basic methods oflocal will exclude from consideration psychophysics. It discuss how to study measure limits human sensory systems. for investigating operant behavior measuring senses may not seem obvious. In fact, however, modern psychophysical procedures allow an objective analysis systems; those do invite a pri­ vate accompaniments or analysis, experi­ menter presents one more records whether observer, after ap­ propriate instruction, responds differentially events. studying, example, person discriminates aurally presented sinu­ soidal waveforms in frequency, psychophysicist does need ask observer perceived different pitches associated each wave­ form. pitch sinusoid private experience accom­ pany presentation waveform. question interest psy­ chophysicist discrimination observer: experimenter knows difference, wishes find out, through proper procedures, "knows" difference too. Like much research