Weber's Law

Definition

Weber's Law is a fundamental principle in psychophysics that describes the relationship between the physical magnitude of a stimulus and the perceived magnitude of that stimulus. It states that the just-noticeable difference (JND) between two stimuli is proportional to the magnitude of the original stimulus.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Weber's Law states that the just-noticeable difference (JND) between two stimuli is proportional to the magnitude of the original stimulus.
2. The JND is the smallest detectable change in a stimulus that can be perceived by an individual.
3. Weber's Law is a fundamental principle in the field of psychophysics, which studies the relationship between physical stimuli and the sensations and perceptions they evoke.
4. Weber's Law applies to various sensory modalities, including vision, audition, touch, and taste.
5. The constant of proportionality in Weber's Law is known as the Weber fraction, which is unique for each sensory modality.

Review Questions

• Explain how Weber's Law describes the relationship between the physical magnitude of a stimulus and the perceived magnitude of that stimulus.
  • According to Weber's Law, the just-noticeable difference (JND) between two stimuli is proportional to the magnitude of the original stimulus. This means that as the intensity of a stimulus increases, the minimum change in that stimulus required for it to be perceived as different also increases proportionally. For example, in the case of brightness, a person may be able to detect a smaller difference between two low-intensity lights compared to the difference required to detect a change in two high-intensity lights.
• Describe the concept of the just-noticeable difference (JND) and its relationship to Weber's Law.
  • The just-noticeable difference (JND) is the smallest detectable change in a stimulus that can be perceived by an individual. Weber's Law states that the JND is proportional to the magnitude of the original stimulus. This means that as the intensity of a stimulus increases, the minimum change required for it to be perceived as different also increases proportionally. The constant of proportionality in this relationship is known as the Weber fraction, which is unique for each sensory modality.
• Analyze how Weber's Law relates to the concept of absolute threshold and the study of psychophysics.
  • Weber's Law is a fundamental principle in the field of psychophysics, which examines the relationship between physical stimuli and the sensations and perceptions they evoke. The absolute threshold, or the minimum intensity of a stimulus that can be detected by the sensory system, is a key concept in psychophysics. Weber's Law describes how the just-noticeable difference (JND) between two stimuli is proportional to the magnitude of the original stimulus, which is directly relevant to understanding the limits of human sensory perception and the mechanisms underlying our ability to detect and discriminate between different stimuli.

Related terms

Just-Noticeable Difference (JND): The smallest detectable difference between two stimuli that can be perceived by an individual.

Psychophysics: The study of the relationship between physical stimuli and the sensations and perceptions they evoke.

Absolute Threshold:

The minimum intensity of a stimulus that can be detected by the sensory system.