Using the magnitude estimation and production methods, the psychophysical function for very, very short visual extents was shown to be a straight line. The argument is made that the linearity of the psychophysical function is independent of past experience. Such a linear relation is plausibly due to the linearity of the transformation, through perceptual constancy, of the physical extents into apparent extents.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AttneaveF.Perception and related areas. In KochS. (Ed.), Psychology: A study of a science. Vol. 4. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1962. Pp. 619–659.
2.
BajrdJ. C.Psychophysical analysis of visual space. Oxford: Pergamon, 1970.
3.
BrunswikE.Perception and representative design in psychological experiments. Berkeley, CA: California Univer. Press, 1956.
4.
GarnerW. R.Advantages of the discriminability criterion for a loudness scale. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 1958, 30, 1005–1012.
5.
GescheiderG. A.Auditory and cutaneous apparent successiveness. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1967, 73, 179–186.
6.
GreggL. W.Fractionation of temporal intervals. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1951, 42, 307–312.
7.
MarksL. E.Sensory processes. New York: Academic Press, 1974.
8.
RossS., & KatchmerL.The construction of a magnitude function for short time intervals. American Journal of Psychology, 1951, 64, 397–401.
