Weber's Law and Related Functions

Ekman, Gösta

doi:10.1080/00223980.1959.9916336

Cited by 202 publications

(86 citation statements)

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“…The dotted lines in Figure 6 are based on Equations 1 and 2, substituting slope and intercept values (c and k, respecwhich provides a representation of the relations between the two measures of b.T(the standard deviation of middle times and spread time) and middle time, T (Allan, 1979;Ekman, 1959;Treisman, 1963). According to the modified equation, the inverse relations between the twoDL/PSE ratios and sample duration may arise from the nonzero intercepts in the linear relations between the standard deviation ofmiddle times and middle time and between spread time and middle time.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The start-stop procedure: Estimation

Kladopoulos

Brown

Hemmes

et al. 1998

Perception & Psychophysics

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In four experiments investigating human timing, subjects produced estimates of sample durations by bracketing their endpoints. On each trial, subjects reproduced a sample duration by pressing a button before the estimated sample duration elapsed (start time) and releasing it after the estimated durat.ion elapsed (stop time). From these responses, middle time (start + stop/2) and spread time (stop -start) were calculated, representing the point of subjective equality and the difference limen, respectively. In all experiments, subjects produced middle times that varied directly with sample duration. In Experiment 2, middle times lengthened when feedback was withheld. Consistent with Weber timing, spread times, as well as the standard deviation of middle times, varied directly with middle time (Experiments 1,3, and 4). On the basis of an internal clock model of timing (Gibbon & Church, 1990), the data permitted inferences regarding memory processes and response threshold.. Correlations between start and stop times and between start and spread times agreed with earlier findings in animals suggesting that the variance of temporal estimates across trials is based in part upon the selection of a single temporal memory sample from a reference memory store and upon one or two threshold samples for initiating and terminating each estimate within a trial.A new method for the investigation of human timing is described. The method, termed the start-stop procedure, is unique in providing estimates of the point of subjective equality (PSE) and difference limen (DL) on individual trials. It also yields two dependent measures on each trial that permit inferences about a subject's criterion and threshold for responding.The start-stop procedure is a modification ofthe method of reproduction. Under both procedures, a subject is presented with a sample stimulus ofa specified duration, followed by an estimation stimulus. Under the traditional method of reproduction, the subject's estimate consists of a single response that terminates the second stimulus when its duration is perceived to match the sample duration. In contrast, the start-stop procedure requires the subject to produce a temporal bracket about the estimated sample time by pressing (start response) and releasing (stop response) a button. The subject is instructed to make the start response prior to the moment at which the second A portion of the results was reported at the annual meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association,April 1995,in Boston.WethankLester E. Kruegerfor his invaluablecontributionto the revisionof the manuscript. We thank Philip H. Ramsey for assistance with statistical analyses.We gratefullyacknowledge the contributions of JohnZhu,for his development of the timing programs,and Carol Wong, for her contributionsto various aspectsof the research.Correspondenceregardingthis article can be sent to C. N. K1adopoulos, Departmentof Psychology, QueensCollege-CUNY, Flushing,NY 11367 (e-mail: kladcuny@aol.com).stimulus duration is judged to be equal to the sam...

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The start-stop procedure: Estimation

Kladopoulos

Brown

Hemmes

et al. 1998

Perception & Psychophysics

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“…For example, Ekman (1959) reported data that were better fit by Equation 1 modified so that So was added rather than subtracted from S. Analogously, Ekman (1961) reported finding a better fit of gustation data using Equation 3 but with R -C rather than R + C on the left-hand side of the equation. For a psychological mechanism, he suggested that C, in the subtractive form, might be due to sensory noise.…”

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confidence: 84%

“…On the other hand, they may merely reflect differences in experimental procedure. For example, some of Ekman's (1959) results were based on fractionation data, not magnitude estimation data.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…First, some studies, e.g., Ekman (1959), have found that So needs to be added, not subtracted, from the right-hand side of the psychophysical equation. Similarly, in some studies, e.g., Ekman (1961), the additive constant on the left-hand side has had to be subtracted rather than added.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We included them for comparison purposes, much as Irwin and Corballis did, but they would only make psychological sense if the value of So were added to S rather than subtracted from it as in Equation 1. The need for the addition of So here is reminiscent of Ekman's (1959) findings.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Inverse attribute functions and the proposed modifications of the power law

Dawson

Miller

1978

Perception & Psychophysics

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Psychophysical Scaling

Marks¹,

Gescheider²

2002

Stevens' Handbook of Experimental Psychology

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Psychophysical scaling refers to the process of quantifying psychological events, especially sensations and perceptions. Scaling requires both a set of empirical operations and a theoretical framework to derive the quantitative values or representations. The chapter treats scaling as it is accomplished through discrimination, partition, and magnitude methods, in each case considering how the relevant data are obtained, how the scales depend on the particular theoretical assumptions, and the extent to which findings are compatible with those assumptions. With partition and magnitude methods in particular, it is important to consider the ways that nonlinear response transformations may intervene between underlying perceptual scales and overt responses; within this framework, the chapter reviews the experimental and methodological variables that affect overt psychophysical responses, as well as theories that seek to validate various approaches to scaling. Detailed examples are given of the design and analysis of two experiments, one of which used a partition method (graphic rating) and the other a magnitude method (magnitude estimation), to study binaural summation of loudness, thereby illuminating many of the important experimental and theoretical issues while at the same time revealing the pragmatic value of using scaling methodology to study sensory and perceptual processes.

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Weber's Law and Related Functions

Cited by 202 publications

References 10 publications

The start-stop procedure: Estimation

The start-stop procedure: Estimation

Inverse attribute functions and the proposed modifications of the power law

Psychophysical Scaling

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