Sensory Thresholds and Signal Detection Lecture 13 1
Qualities of Sensation Boring (1953) Modality-Specific Vision: Hue, Saturation Audition: Pitch, Timbre Olfaction: Odor Gustation: Flavor Touch: Roughness, Wetness Pain: Sensory Pain (Fast/Slow), Suffering General: Intensity Vision: Brightness Audition: Loudness 2
Thresholds for Conscious Awareness Absolute Weakest Detectable Stimulus Relative Smallest Detectable Change Just-Noticeable Difference Absolute Threshold a Special Case Isomorphism Physical Intensity Sensory Intensity 3
Neural Coding of Intensity The All or None Law 4
Weber s Law Weber (1846) di/i = c Original Intensity Noticeable Change Change in Intensity (di) 25 20 15 10 5 0 10 100 200 Original Intensity (I) 10 11 100 110 c = 1/10 200 220 5
Representative Weber Fractions for Human Sensation Geldard (1962) Modality Visual Brightness (White) 1/60 Lifted Weight 1/50 Thermal Pain 1/30 Auditory Loudness 1/10 Cutaneous Pressure 1/7 Smell of Rubber 1/4 Taste of Salt 1/3 c 6
Fechner s Law Fechner (1860) S = klogi Physical Intensity Sensory Intensity 1 0 10 1 100 2 Intensity of Sensation (S) 2.5 2.3 2 2 1.5 1 1 0.5 0 0-20 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 Intensity of Stimulus (I) 200 2.3 k = 1, log = log 10 7
Fechner s Law as Logarithm Fechner (1868) S = klogi Intensity of Sensation (S) 3 3 2.5 2.3 2 2 1.5 1 1 0.5 0 0 0.1 10 1000 Intensity of Stimulus (I) Physical Intensity Sensory Intensity 1 0 10 1 100 2 200 2.3 1000 3 8
Fechner s Law Fechner (1868) S = klogi Sensation Grows More Slowly Than Stimulation Sensory Receptors Compress Stimuli Exceptions Perceived Length Perceived Pain 9
Stevens Law Stevens (1961) S = ki N Intensity of Sensation (S) Fechner s Law 15 14.14 10 10 5 3.16 1 0-20 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 Intensity of Stimulus (I) Physical Intensity Sensory Intensity 1 1 10 3.16 100 10 k = 1, N = 1/2 200 14.14 10
Intensity of Sensation (S) 200 175 150 125 100 75 50 The Case of Length 100 25 0 1 10-20 -25 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 Intensity of Stimulus (I) Stevens Law Stevens (1961) S = ki N 200 Physical Intensity Sensory Intensity 1 1 10 10 100 100 200 200 k = 1, N = 1 11
Stevens Law Stevens (1961) S = ki N Intensity of Sensation (S) The Case of Pain 3000 2828 2500 2000 1500 1000 1000 500 0 1 31.6-20 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 Intensity of Stimulus (I) Physical Intensity Sensory Intensity 1 1 10 31.6 100 1000 k = 1, N = 3/2 200 2828 12
Stevens Law Stevens (1961) A General Psychophysical Law: S = ki n Operating Characteristic of Receptors Most Compress Stimulation: n < 1 Some Expand Stimulation: n > 1 Representative Exponents (n) Viscosity of silicone Fluid: 042 Brightness of Point Source: 0.5 Loudness of Pure Tone: 0.67 Area of Square 0.70 Length of Line: 1.00 Pressure on Palm: 1.10 Taste of Saccharin: 0.8 Taste of Sucrose: 1.3 Heaviness of Lifted Weight: 1.45 Electric Shock to Fingers: 3.50 13
Signal-Detection Theory Green & Swets (1966), after Tanner & Swets (1954) Discriminate between Signal and Noise Components of Decision Sensitivity (Information) d Bias (Criterion) β Expectation Motivation 14
The Signal Detection Paradigm Green & Swets (1966) Response On Signal Off (Catch Trials) Yes HIT FALSE ALARM No MISS Correct Rejection 15
An Observer with High Sensitivity Hit Rate = 100%; False Alarm Rate = 0% Response On Stimulus Off Yes 50% 0% 50% No 0% 50% 50% 50% 50% 16
An Observer with Less Sensitivity Hit Rate = 80%; False Alarm Rate = 0% Response On Stimulus Off Yes 40% 0% 40% No 10% 50% 60% 50% 50% 17
Liberal Bias toward Yes Hit Rate = 80%; False Alarm Rate = 80% Response On Stimulus Off Yes 40% 40% 80% No 10% 10% 20% 50% 50% 18
Conservative Bias toward No Hit Rate = 30%; False Alarm Rate = 30% Response On Stimulus Off Yes 15% 15% 30% No 35% 35% 70% 50% 50% 19
Sensitivity + Liberal Bias Hit Rate = 80%; False Alarm Rate = 40% Response On Stimulus Off Yes 40% 20% 60% No 10% 30% 40% 50% 50% 20
Sensitivity + Conservative Bias Hit Rate = 50%; False Alarm Rate = 10% Response On Stimulus Off Yes 25% 5% 30% No 25% 45% 70% 50% 50% 21
Inducing Liberal Response Bias by Decreasing Catch Trials Response On Stimulus Off Yes 52% 18% 70% No 18% 12% 30% 70% 30% 100% 22
Inducing Conservative Response Bias by Increasing Catch Trials Response On Stimulus Off Yes 18% 12% 30% No 12% 58% 70% 30% 70% 100% 23
A Balanced Payoff Matrix Response On Stimulus Off Yes +25-25 0 No -25 +25 0 0 0 24
A Payoff Matrix Inducing Liberal Bias Response On Stimulus Off Yes +25-10 +15 No 0 0 0 25
A Payoff Matrix Inducing Conservative Bias Response On Stimulus Off Yes +10-25 -15 No 0 0 0 26
Signal Detection as Decision Under Uncertainty Detection not simply a matter of intensity Judgment Under Uncertainty Example: Mammography Family History Cost/Benefit Analysis Determinants of Decisions Expectations Motives Radiological Society of N.A. 27
Implications of Signal Detection Theory Detection Not a Simple Matter of Intensity Passive vs. Active Observer Expectations, Motives Lower vs. Higher Mental Processes Proximity to Physical Stimulus Ties to Sensory Physiology Sensory Detection as Judgment Decision-Making 28
Subliminal Perception? Herbart (1819); Kihlstrom et al. (1992) Threshold = Limen Conscious Perception Conscious Awareness of Distal Stimulus Subliminal Perception Change in Experience, Thought, or Action Attributable to Stimulus No Conscious Awareness of Stimulus Perception Implied by Changes in Task Performance 29
Judgment Accuracy at Zero Confidence Peirce & Jastrow (1884) % Correct 100 80 60 40 20 0 Chance 1.06 1.03 1.02 1.015 1.101 1.005 Ratio of Weights 30
Scope of Subliminal Perception Kihlstrom et al. (1992) Methodological Variations Weak Intensity Short Duration Masking Unattended Not Simple Guessing Hits > False Alarms Analytic Limitation Prof. Gil Einstein, Furman U. Exaggerated Claims for Subliminal Influence 31