Smallest detectable level of a stimulus * Difference Thresholds- Minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50% of the time
The measure of how different two stimuli have to be in order for the subject to notice that they are not the same.
Signal-to-noise Ratio & Signal detection Theory
Signal detection theory- Predicts how and when we detect presence of a faint stimulus (signal) among background noise.
Signal-to-noise ratio- It becomes harder to detect a signal as background noise increases. This depends on…
Experience
Expectations
Motivation
Level of fatigue Sensory Adaptation
Activation is greatest when a stimulus is first detected
Sensitivity diminishes as a consequence of constant stimulation
(my socks are on, my socks are on…)
Sensory interactions * The principle that one sensory system may affect another (cross-modal processing)
Ex. Smell of food influences taste
When Visual information influences auditory perception (McGurk effect)
McGurk effect- Demonstrates that we integrate visual and auditory information when processing spoken language, and our brains automatically calculate the most probable sound given the info from the two sources.