Can a Trained Subject Judge his Auditory Sensitivity?

Abstract

Auditory thresholds were measured daily on three subjects over an extended period of time, and the subjects postdicted whether the level and variability of the day's measured thresholds were higher or lower than on the preceding day, without their having knowledge of their performance. It was found that their judgments agreed with the obtained psycho-physical data better than would have been expected on the basis of chance alone. These results raise the question of the possibility that a subject's understanding of, or hypothesis concerning, the experimental outcome may influence his behaviour.