problems of psychophysics for psychology students
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The document discusses psychophysics, which examines the relationship between psychological phenomena and the physical properties of stimuli, focusing on sensation and perception. It highlights key problems in psychophysics, such as quantifying psychic states, measuring intensity, scaling, and minimizing human errors, alongside the need for objective measurements and mathematical models. The text summarizes foundational concepts like Fechner's law and emphasizes the importance of eliminating errors in perception and decision-making.
problems of psychophysics for psychology students
- 1. Problems of Psychophysics Dr Rajesh Verma Assistant Professor in Psychology Govt. College Adampur, Hisar (Haryana)
- 2. Meaning The word Psychophysics is made up of Psychology + Physics. Psychology = Psychological variables (Specially Sensation and Perception) of an individual. Physics = Physical Properties of Stimulus. Means studying the relationship between psychological phenomenon and physical properties of stimulus.
- 3. Definition The branch of psychological science that study relationship between psychological phenomenon and physical properties of a stimulus. The relationship between stimuli and the sensations they evoke has been studied in a discipline, called psychophysics (NCERT, XI). “The analysis of perceptual processes by studying the effect on a subject's experience or behaviour of systematically varying the properties of a stimulus along one or more physical dimensions” (Bruce et. Al 1996 quoted by Wikipedia).
- 4. Problems of Psychophysics (i) Quantification of Psychic State – Psychic state is qualitative and subjective variable that needs to converted into a quantitative variable for testing. It is achieved through the expression of sum total of characteristics of a variable in objective form. (ii) Measurement of Psychic State – Assessment of a variable for its magnitude as well as intensity.
- 5. (iii) Scaling – Determining the location of an object on a scale or continuum means to allot a numerical value. These are helpful in establishing cause-effect relationships between variables. (iv) Determination of functional relationships and their mathematical expression – Because mathematical expressions or models are helpful in estimating the quantitative behaviour of any system. They help to explain known physical phenomena and are helpful in predicting their behaviour in time.
- 6. (v) Manipulation of Psychological Variables – Quantitative change in the magnitude or intensity of a variable in order to have pure outcomes i.e. external interference free inferences. (vi) Objective Measurement of Magnitude of Sensation – Strength of sensory experience. Fechner’s law (1860) states that the intensity of sensation (perception) is proportional to the logarithm of the intensity of stimulation, therefore the stimuli that are more relevant in intensity, quality, rarity, etc. will be best received by individuals and produce fewer errors (Liutsko & Ral, 2014).
- 7. (vii) Measurement of Sense Experience – Assessment of their level. (viii) Minimizing Human errors which are of three types i.e. (a) Errors in perception, (b) Errors in decision and (c) Errors in sensation. (x) Observational Errors.
- 8. References: 1. NCERT, XI Psychology Text book. 2. Bruce. V., Green, P. R. & Georgeson, M. A. (1996). Visual perception (3rd ed.). Psychology Press. 3. Ral, J. M. T. & Liutsko, L. (2014). Human errors: Their psychophysical bases and the Proprioceptive Diagnosis of Temperament and Character (DP-TC) as a tool for measuring. Psychology in Russia: State of the Art 7(2), 48-63.
- 9. Next Discussion Classical Methods of Psychophysics
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