EXPERIMENT-05

ABSOLUTE THRESHOLD

ABSTRACT

The experiment focused on measuring and determining the Absolute Threshold in an adolescent
person (adolescence stage) and a middle aged person (middle adulthood stage) using
Counterbalancing technique. In ‘Absolute Threshold’, the term ‘Threshold’ is the lowest point
at which a particular stimulus will cause a response in an organism. Simply put, thresholds
refer to limit values, and in this case, it means that our perceptions have limits.And, the term
‘Absolute Threshold’ is the lowest level of stimulus that a person can detect 50% of the
time. The absolute threshold is an important topic in psychology. The absolute threshold can be
used to identify the minimum level a person can detect of a variety of stimuli including vision,
hearing, touch, smell, and taste. To have a balanced approach for determining the absolute
threshold, 50% detectability is considered to deal with the issue of individual differences and
external and internal factors. The method used by psychologists to find the absolute threshold of
a person is called the method of limits where a stimulus is presented to a person in ascending or
descending order of its intensity. The hypothesis was that, the absolute threshold will differ in
both kinds of individuals and the absolute threshold of an adolescent person will be lesser than
that of a middle aged person. The subjects had to do the experiment on the laptop, where, on the
screen, they were being shown stimulus, which contained a red plus sign in the middle of the
laptop screen where the subjects had to focus and above which the dots in different intensities
were presented and the subjects had to press the ‘yes’ button if they saw a dot and ‘no’ if they
didn’t. My objective was to measure the Absolute threshold of an adolescent and a middle aged
person through method of limits using counterbalancing technique and to understand and know
the relationship between the distance of the subject from the laptop screen.
Keywords:

Problem Statement: To determine and measure the Absolute Threshold in an adolescent

person (adolescence stage) and a middle aged person (middle adulthood stage) using
Counterbalancing technique.

INTRODUCTION

The process of sensation involves transmission of information to the brain by the sensory
receptors like nose, eyes, ears, mouth and skin. Sensation and perception though are related, but
are considered to be distinct processes. In case of sensation, sensory receptors play a key role in
transmitting the inputs to the brains by converting these inputs to neural impulses. Perception is
the process by way of which the brain in the light of past experiences, memory and learning
selects and interprets sensations. Perception of the same senses will vary from person to person
because of the differences in individual’s memory, learning, expectations and emotions.

However,‘Sensation’ and ‘Perception’ is possibly one of the less appreciated areas in psychology
for the majority of high school and undergraduate students because of its resemblance to physics
and other hard sciences that commonly scare psychology students away. This happens especially
when weird terms like Absolute Threshold, Difference Threshold, and Weber’s Law come up.
However, these themes are not as difficult as they may sound. So, let us first understand what we
mean by the term ‘threshold’.

What is a ‘threshold’ and how does it relate to Sensation and Perception? “A threshold is the
lowest point at which a particular stimulus will cause a response in an organism.” Simply put,
thresholds refer to limit values, and in this case, it means that our perceptions have limits. Take
the intensity of a light bulb, for example. There is a minimum value in its intensity for us to
perceive the light. And if you increase its intensity, there is a minimum value for us to perceive
any change in the light. These minimum values are called absolute threshold and difference
threshold.
Now, as our experiment is on the topic ‘Absolute threshold’, we will now understand the
meaning of the term “Absolute threshold”.

The absolute threshold is an important topic in psychology.

But, before discussing the absolute threshold, it is better to briefly discuss the detectable range
of stimulus. Every organism has a detectable range for various stimuli such as sight, sound, and
smell. For instance, the human ear can only hear sounds between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz. In other
words, the human cannot hear sounds below 20 Hz and above 20,000 Hz. Such a range of
frequencies of sound which can be heard by an organism is called audible frequency range. The
above-noted audible frequency range is for a normal and healthy human being. However, this
range may slightly vary with different factors such as physiological and psychological health
status, age and so on. For instance, young people may hear a sound with a lower level of
intensity, but old people may not be able to hear the sound with the same lower level of intensity.
Therefore, the ability of people to hear sound at different levels may slightly vary. This also
applies to variation in the ability of different people to see.

Now, let's move on to the absolute threshold..

Have you ever heard the story of the Pea and the Princess? In this fairy tale, a prince is seeking a
princess to take for his wife and, as luck would have it, a young woman claiming to be a princess
seeks shelter from the rain at his castle. The prince's mother conducts a test to determine the
authenticity of the woman's royal status - she is a princess if she can feel the presence of a pea in
the bed she spends the night in, which is covered by 20 mattresses and as many featherbeds. The
woman wakes in the morning complaining of a sore back from a lump in the bed, and the prince
is overjoyed to have finally found a princess to marry. It's safe to assume that the princess has a
very sensitive back to be able to feel a stimulus with such a low absolute threshold.

So, “an Absolute Threshold is the smallest level of stimulus that can be detected, usually
defined as at least half the time.”

OR

“Absolute Threshold is the lowest level of stimulus that a person can detect 50% of the time.”
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), “Absolute threshold is the
minimum amount of stimulation required to trigger a reaction or produce a sensation and is the
lowest or weakest level of stimulation (e.g., the slightest, most indistinct sound) that can be
detected on 50% of trials.”

The term is often used in neuroscience and experimental research and can be applied to any
stimulus that can be detected by the human senses including sound, touch, taste, sight, and smell.
For example, in an experiment on sound detention, researchers may present a sound with varying
levels of volume. The smallest level that a participant is able to hear is the absolute threshold.
However, there are two things to be considered for determining the threshold. 1) It is the lowest
intensity level of the stimulus that can be detected by the person and 2) The person is able to
detect it 50% of the time.

But what is that “50% of the time” part of the definition for? Why not 100% of the time?As
noted, the absolute threshold is simply the lowest detectable level of a stimulus for a person,
participants may only detect the stimulus part of the time. Because of this, the absolute threshold
is usually defined as the smallest level of a stimulus that a person is able to detect 50% of the
time and the ability to detect 50% of the time is set as a criteria because there can be individual
differences in subjects. For instance, some individuals can detect a specific lowest level of
stimulus which cannot be easily detected by many other individuals. Similarly, the subjects may
detect a stimulus correctly at some times but may not detect it correctly at other times. Also, the
ability to detect 50% of the time is set as a criteria because our absolute threshold can vary
according to external and internal factors like background noise, expectation, motivation and
physical condition. It is easier to hear a sound when we are in perfect health, expecting to hear it
in a quiet room than when we are tired, unaware of it and in a noisy street.

Therefore, to have a balanced approach for determining the absolute threshold 50% detectability
is considered to deal with the issue of individual differences and external and internal factors.

And this absolute threshold can be applied to all our senses:

 ● The minimum intensity of light we can see
● The lowest volume of a sound we can hear
● The smallest concentration of particles we can smell
● The smallest concentration of particles we can taste
● The lightest touch we can feel.

The absolute threshold can be used to identify the minimum level a person can detect of a variety
of stimuli including vision, hearing, touch, smell, and taste.

The Absolute Threshold for Vision

The absolute threshold for vision is the smallest level of light that can be detected by an
individual 50 percent of the time. One way to measure the absolute threshold for vision is by
calculating the distance at which an individual can detect the presence of a candle flame in the
dark.

In 1942, Hecht, Shlaer, and Pirenne carried out a scientific study on the detection of light by
humans. The study involved measuring the number of photons that were absorbed by the human
eye and how much was needed for light to be detected. They did this by flashing varying
intensities of light at different locations in the visual field of normal humans and determining the
lowest intensity that could be perceived. This experiment revealed that the human eye can detect
a stimulus with as little as 90 photons. They also estimated that 5-14 photons will be absorbed in
an area of the retina that has approximately 500 rods. The retina is a layer of tissue in the back of
the eye that senses light and transmits signals to the brain for the perception of images and rods
are the photoreceptor cells that are present in the retina. Their experiment was of extraordinary
significance because it uncovered some of the structural components of vision and the
underlying physiological processes that contribute to the perception of light.

The Absolute Threshold for Hearing

The absolute threshold of hearing refers to the minimum level of a pure tone with no interfering
sounds that an individual with an average ear and normal hearing can detect. For example, this
can be measured by exposing an individual to different levels of the ticking sound of a clock or
for instance, a person is asked to hear a sound that is played at its lowest intensity level several
times. If the person can detect this sound 50% of the time the sound is played, such the lowest
intensity level of sound is called the Absolute threshold of sound. The absolute threshold of
hearing in children is typically lower than that of adults because they can detect sounds at higher
and lower ranges, an ability that decreases with age. Small children can detect sounds as low as
1,000 Hz. In general, children tend to be able to detect lower levels of sound in adults because
their hearing is more sensitive. As people age, hearing tends to decline.

The Absolute Threshold for Smell

The absolute threshold of smell is the smallest concentration of an odor that an individual can
detect. This can vary significantly by types of odors, environmental factors, and data collection
methods that are being employed. For example, testing for the absolute threshold of perfume in a
bedroom and a warehouse chemical may yield different results. Testing at different times of the
day can also influence absolute thresholds of smell. Factors that might impact the absolute
threshold in this case include the strength of the scent, the size of the room, and any other scents
that might be present.

The Absolute Threshold for Taste

The absolute threshold of taste is the smallest amount of flavor that a human can detect. The
basic tastes such as sweet, salty, sour and bitter, all have different thresholds of detection.
Different concentrations of these tastes also influence detection levels.

The Absolute Threshold for Touch

The absolute threshold of touch is the minimum stimulation level required for someone to detect
being touched. These thresholds typically vary by body parts. For example, the back of the neck
may have a different absolute threshold than the fingertips.

Background of Absolute threshold

Gustav Fechner (1801-1887) considered two thresholds in his analysis of sensation. The first, the
absolute threshold, is the lowest intensity at which a stimulus can be detected. Like Gottfried
Leibniz (1646-1716) and Johann Herbert (1776-1841) before him, he allowed for negative
sensations -- unconscious reactions to stimulus intensities below absolute threshold -- and the
possibility that subthreshold stimuli can cumulate beyond absolute threshold to create a
conscious sensation. For Fechner, though, the absolute threshold was of limited usefulness. It
was only the lowest level of conscious sensation. His goal was to relate a full range of stimulus
intensities to their resultant sensation values. In this regard, he introduced the concept of a
differential threshold: the minimal amount of change in a stimulus that can be detected. He
assumed the differential threshold for any stimulus within the full range of intensities to be
subjectively equal, the equivalent of one jnd.

Influencing Factors

There are a number of factors that influence the absolute threshold such as the expectation to
detect, motivation to detect, familiarity with the stimulus, cognitive processes and the
environmental conditions.

If a person is expecting to detect a stimulus, he/she will be able to detect it even in its lowest
intensity. For instance, a person is waiting for a text message on his mobile phone, he/she would
be able to readily hear the message tone but if not expecting, he/she may not hear it or he/she
may ignore it.

If a person is motivated, he/she will easily detect the stimulus. For instance, if a kid is asked to
hear a sound played at a low volume, and he/she is promised that he/she will be given a
chocolate-bar for each time he/she hears the sound. So, he/she will be able to hear the sound
many times because the reward (chocolate) is bringing motivation in him/her to hear the sound.

If a person is familiar with a stimulus, he/she will easily detect it. For instance, the crescent
moon is pretty thin and hard to see. However, if a person has attempted to see it many times in
the past, and has become familiar with it, he/she easily sees it while many others may not be able
to locate it.
A person’s stimulus detection ability will also be according to his/her cognitive process. If
he/she will have a good thinking, sensing and perceiving ability, then he/she will be able to
detect the very lowest stimulus also but there are some people who do not have a better thinking,
sensing and perceiving ability and therefore, they might not be able to detect the stimulus easily.
For instance, a person with a good thinking, sensing and perceiving ability will be able to see a
smallest dot presented on a screen even in its lowest intensity.

The environmental conditions will also influence or affect a person's stimulus detection ability.
Due to the background noises of something, the person can be defocused which will affect
his/her stimulus detecting ability. For instance, you have to calculate a person’s threshold at his
home, and while measuring his/her absolute threshold, there is a sound of the whistle of the
cooker being heard which will affect our subject’s stimulus detection ability.

Examples of Absolute Threshold

Sense Example of Absolute Threshold

Vision A candle flame seen at 50 kilometers on a dark clear night.

Hearing The tick of a clock under quiet conditions at 6 meters.

Taste Five milliliters of sugar in 7.5 liters of water.

Smell One drop of perfume diffused into the entire volume of a six-room apartment.

Touch The wing of a fly falling on your cheek from a distance of 1 centimeter.

Process of measuring the Absolute Threshold

A person is exposed to a stimulus at varying intensities and then asked to state if they can detect
the stimulus or not in each case. The lowest or minimum intensity that a person can detect at
least 50% of the time is then the absolute threshold value. The exact methods of the trials vary
depending on which sense is being used and tested, for instance, taste versus vision. If taste is
being tested then obviously the individual will have to taste some substance at varying strengths
or intensities. If a person is having the vision measured then, for example, a candle will be held
at different distances and the absolute threshold determined.

Method of Limits to find the Absolute Threshold

The method used by psychologists to find the absolute threshold of a person is called the method
of limits. In this method, a stimulus is presented to a person in ascending or descending order of
its intensity. In ascending order, the intensity of the stimulus is increased from low to high in a
stepwise manner. In descending order, the intensity of the stimulus is decreased from high to low
in a stepwise manner. With either way adopted, the psychologist intends to find the lowest
intensity of the stimulus that is detected by the person.
For instance, A sound is played to a person who is asked to hear it. The intensity of a sound is
increased from its lowest level to the highest level in a stepwise manner. The lowest intensity
level of sound that is detected by the person is noted down on a paper. Then, the sound is played
at the noted lowest intensity several times, if the person can detect it 50% of the times the sound
was played, it is marked as the absolute threshold of sound for the person.
The same procedure is also carried out to find the absolute threshold of vision. For instance, light
is presented in its different intensity levels increasing from lowest to highest. The presented light
increases from dimmest intensity to brightest intensity. The lowest level that a person detects
50% of the times the light was presented, is marked as his absolute threshold of vision for the
person.
Measuring the absolute threshold may also involve measuring the DISTANCE of the source of
stimulus from the person. This is done for all types of stimuli such as light, sound, and smell.
However, for taste and touch, instead of distance other parameters for space-effect may be used.
For determining the distance threshold for vision, light is presented to a person in a dark room at
varying distances from the person. Similarly, for finding the distance threshold for sound, a
sound is played to a person in a calm environment at varying distances from the person.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE
(By, M.A. Bouman in 1955) In their study, a Quantitative approach to an understanding of
fluctuating phenomena encountered near the threshold of vision involved an analysis of
frequency of seeing curves. The results of various investigators were discussed with reference to
the possibility of an explanation based exclusively on the statistical fluctuations in the
stimulating energy. Psychological variability in the conditioning of the subject can account for
controversial results. The integrative actions in the visual system measured with the aid of
flashes containing two separate small and short stimuli—with variable time and distance apart
from each other—were discussed. Various merits of such experiments were put forward. The
absolute threshold behavior with respect to dependencies of threshold energy on duration,
velocity of moving sources, length and width of line-shaped targets, diameter and size of circular
and square targets, was confronted and found in agreement with the two quanta explanation.
Objections and modifying suggestions of other investigators on the two quanta concepts were
discussed. It was concluded that experimental results deny the correctness of such objections or
modifications. The brightness impression of the perceived flash under the various conditions
decreases with increasing target-size or test area. Suggestions were made as to the mechanisms
which account for this effect. Such mechanisms account for deviations from theory at the
simultaneous occurrence of large and long test flashes.

(By, Peter Heil, Heinrich Neubauer, Andreas Tiefenau and Hellmut von Specht in 2006)
In this work they had compared detection thresholds obtained with a three-interval-three -
alternative forced-choice paradigm with reaction thresholds extracted from both reaction
probabilities (RP) and reaction times (RT) in a simple RT paradigm from the same listeners
under otherwise nearly identical experimental conditions. Detection thresholds, RP, and RT to
auditory stimuli exhibited substantial variation from session to session. Most of the intersession
variation in RP and RT could be accounted for by intersession variation in a listener's absolute
sensitivity. The reaction thresholds extracted from RP were very similar, if not identical, to those
extracted from RT. On the other hand, reaction thresholds were always higher than detection
thresholds. The difference between the two thresholds can be considered as the additional
amount of evidence required by each listener to react to a stimulus in an unforced design on top
of that necessary for detection in the forced-choice design. This difference is inversely related to
the listener's probability of producing false alarms. They found that RT, once corrected for some
irreducible minimum RT, reflects the time at which a given stimulus reaches the listener's
reaction threshold. This suggested that the relationships between simple RT and loudness
(reported in the literature) were probably caused by a tight relationship between temporal
summation at threshold and temporal summation of loudness.

(By, Darren Koenig and Heidi Hofer in 2011) In their study, they reported
measurements of the absolute threshold of cone vision, which had been
previously underestimated due to suboptimal conditions or overly strict
subjective response criteria. They avoided these limitations by using
optimized stimuli and experimental conditions while having subjects respond
within a rating scale framework. Small (1′ fwhm), brief (34 ms),
monochromatic (550 nm) stimuli were foveally presented at multiple
intensities in dark-adapted retina for 5 subjects. For comparison, 4 subjects
underwent similar testing with rod-optimized stimuli. Cone absolute
threshold, that is, the minimum light energy for which subjects were just able
to detect a visual stimulus with any response criterion, was 203 ± 38
photons at the cornea, ∼0.47 log unit lower than previously reported. Two-
alternative forced-choice measurements in a subset of subjects yielded
consistent results. Cone thresholds were less responsive to criterion changes
than rod thresholds, suggesting a limit to the stimulus information
recoverable from the cone mosaic in addition to the limit imposed by Poisson
noise. Results were consistent with expectations for detection in the face of
stimulus uncertainty. They discussed implications of these findings for
modeling the first stages of human cone vision and interpreting
psychophysical data acquired with adaptive optics at the spatial scale of the
receptor mosaic.

(By, Michael S. Osmanski and Xiaoqin Wang in 2011) Their experiment paired psychophysics
with an operant conditioning technique to examine perception of pure tone stimuli by marmosets
using an active behavioral paradigm. Subjects were trained to lick at a feeding tube when they
detected a sound. Correct responses provided access to a food reward. Pure tones of varying
intensities were presented to subjects using the method of constant stimuli. Behavioral thresholds
were calculated for each animal based on hit rate - threshold was defined by the tone intensity
that the animal correctly identified 50% of the time. Results showed that marmoset hearing is
comparable to that of other New World monkeys, with a hearing range extending from about 125
Hz up to 36 kHz and a sensitivity peak around 7 kHz.

(By, Lucia Orellana-Escobedo, Jose de Jesus Ornelas-Paz, Guadalupe I. Olivas and

Joseangel Guerrero-Beltran in 2012) In their study, Absolute threshold and Just Noticeable
Difference (JND) were determined for the perception of pungency using chili pepper in aqueous
solutions. Absolute threshold and JND were determined using 2 alternative forced-choice
sensory tests. High-performance liquid chromatography technique was used to determine
capsaicinoids concentration in samples used for sensory analysis. Sensory absolute threshold was
0.050 mg capsaicinoids/kg sample. Five JND values were determined using 5 reference solutions
with different capsaicinoids concentration. JND values changed proportionally as capsaicinoids
concentration of the reference sample solutions changed. The Weber fraction remained stable for
the first 4 reference capsaicinoid solutions (0.05, 0.11, 0.13, and 0.17 mg/kg) but changed when
the most concentrated reference capsaicinoids solution was used (0.23 mg/kg). Quantification
limit for instrumental analysis was 1.512 mg/kg capsaicinoids. Sensory methods employed in
this study proved to be more sensitive than instrumental methods. Practical Application: A better
understanding of the process involved in the sensory perception of pungency is currently
required because "hot" foods are becoming more popular in western cuisine. Absolute thresholds
and differential thresholds are useful tools in the formulation and development of new food
products. These parameters may help in defining how much chili pepper is required in a
formulated product to ensure a perceptible level of pungency, as well as in deciding how much
more chili pepper is required in a product to produce a perceptible increase in its pungency.

METHOD

Objective:
 1. To measure the Absolute threshold of an adolescent person (adolescence stage).
2. To measure the Absolute threshold of a middle aged person (middle adulthood stage).
3. The relationship between the distance of the subject from the screen and Absolute
threshold in the adolescent person.
4. The relationship between the distance of the subject from the screen and Absolute
threshold in the middle aged person.

Hypothesis:

The absolute threshold will differ in both kinds of individuals and the absolute threshold of an
adolescent person will be lesser than that of a middle aged person.

Experimental Design:

Here, Counterbalancing Technique will be used for my experiment.

In Counterbalancing technique, the series of the experimental conditions or the treatments are
arranged in such a way as to minimize the influence of extraneous factors, such as practice or
fatigue, on experimental results. It is a technique used to deal with order effects when using a
repeated measures design. With counterbalancing, the participant sample is divided in half, with
one half completing the two conditions in one order and the other half completing the conditions
in the reverse order. E.g., the first 10 participants would complete condition A followed by
condition B, and the remaining 10 participants would complete condition B and then A. Any
order effects should be balanced out by this technique.
This technique is used by me in this experiment because, as we know that, in the technique of
counterbalancing, the subjects are divided in half and the one completes the conditions in one
order and the other half completes the conditions in the reverse order, which counterbalances the
extraneous effects caused by order effects that arise when using a repeated measures design.
Here, we have two subjects, one is from the age range 12-18 and the other is from the age range
40-65, which are two totally different age categories of people.Also, there are a lot of individual
differences in these two categories of people. Their emotions would differ, mental state would
differ, behavior with different aspects would differ, their work space and working capacity
would differ and many other individual differences will be there in these two categories of
people.
Here, I will present and do 4 trials with each subject. In the first condition (near condition), the
laptop screen will be near the subject at a distance of 30 centimeters and then the subject will do
the experiment, then, in the second condition (far condition) the laptop screen will be far from
the the subject at a distance of 1.5 meters and then the subject will do the experiment, then, the
subject will be given a break of 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, the subject will do the experiment in
the third condition (far condition) that is, the laptop screen will be far from the the subject at a
distance of 1.5 meters and then the subject will do the experiment in the fourth condition (near
condition), that is, the laptop screen will be near the subject at a distance of 30 centimeters. This
is the first order or sequence, using which the subject between the age range of 12-18 will be
doing the experiment, And in the same conditions, but reversed order, the experiment will be
done by the subject between the age range of 40-65. So, by using the counterbalancing
technique, first, we will be able to deal with extraneous effects caused by order effects that arise
when using a repeated measures design. Secondly, we will be able to correctly measure the
individual differences between both the subjects as the trials will be presented in different orders.
Each subject will detect the stimulus according to their visual capacity and stimulus detecting
ability plus the conditions being the same but in reversed order will be presented to both the
subjects, so the confounding variables will be removed and the correct absolute threshold will be
measured.

Materials:

1. Laptop.
The experiment has been conducted using an online experiment given on the google
website and the link of the website is given here:
https://isle.hanover.edu/Ch02Methods/Ch02MethodOfLimits_evt.html
2. Pen (for writing about the subject's behavior, expressions and gestures observed by me
during the experiment).
 3. Notebook (for writing about the subject's behavior, expressions and gestures observed by
me during the experiment).
4. Introspection sheet for subject to write his/her own feedback about the experiment.

Variables:

INDEPENDENT VARIABLE -

1. Distance of the subject from the screen.

2. Age.
3. Intensity of illumination.

DEPENDENT VARIABLE –

1. Absolute threshold of the subjects.

CONTROLS –

1. Environmental factors have to be controlled such as noise, light and temperature.

2. No other devices like mobile are allowed to be used in between the experiment.
3. The subject has to sit at one place during the whole experiment. His/her place of sitting
should not be changed in between the experiment.
4. Other than the google website of the experiment, no other google tab should be opened
during the experiment.
5. Number of trials have to be decided before the conduction of the experiment. It cannot be
changed after the experiment has started.
6. Number of trials should not be disclosed to the subject.
7. The brightness level of the laptop screen has to be set before the conduction of the
experiment and it should not be changed once the experiment has started.
8. The distance of the subject from the screen for this experiment, have to be fixed and set
before the conduction of the experiment i.e.The distance between the subject and the
screen of 30 centimeters and the distance between the subject and the screen of 1.5
meters have to be fixed and it should not be changed, meaning, it has to remain constant
once the experiment has started.
 9. The stimuli settings like dot diameter, dot position and background level have to be fixed
and set before the conduction of the experiment and it should not be changed once the
experiment has started.
10. The number of the levels of relative dot luminance (display values) have to be fixed and
set before the conduction of the experiment and it should not be changed once the
experiment has started.
11. The subject cannot zoom-in or zoom-out the experiment sheet during the whole
experiment.
12. No time was given to the subject during the experiment.
13. No feedback should be given to the subject regarding the performance.

Samples:

SUBJECT 1 - My first sample is of age 17, a higher-secondary school student studying in 12th
standard and is a male.

SUBJECT 2 - My second sample is of age 41, a working person, and is a male.

SAMPLING TECHNIQUE:

Convenience Sampling method was used for the experiment because I had collected the samples
at my own convenience and as my samples were approachable and accessible to me easily.

Sample Frame:

INCLUSIVE CRITERIA FOR SAMPLES:

1. The samples will be collected from two different age ranges of 12-18 and 40-65.
2. A person with color blindness can be included.

EXCLUSIVE CRITERIA FOR SAMPLES:

1. People other than the age of 12-18 and 40-65 should not be part of the experiment.
 2. A person who wears correction lenses cannot wear it during the experiment, if he or she
is part of the experiment.
3. A person who is partially or fully blind cannot be a part of the experiment.

PROCEDURE

Rapport Formation:

With subject 1 – The experiment was conducted at my subject’s home. The subject was sitting
just in front of me. First of all, I asked the subject whether he wanted to be a part of my
experiment or not and only after he replied with a “yes”, I tried to build a rapport with my
subject, tried to make him comfortable so that the experiment can be conducted easily and
smoothly without any hurdles. After a while, when I felt he was quite comfortable with me,
firstly, I gave him a gist about the experiment as to what the experiment is about and why I have
chosen him for my experiment. After he understood a short brief regarding my experiment, I
gave the instructions for the experiment as to how the experiment is going to be conducted and
what all things he needs to do and what all things he needs to take care of. During the experiment
I kept observing his expressions and behavior to check whether he is comfortable or not. At the
end of the experiment, I also took feedback from him about how he felt about the experiment.

With subject 2 – The experiment was conducted at my subject’s home. The subject was sitting
just in front of me. First of all, I asked the subject whether he wanted to be a part of my
experiment or not and only after he replied with a “yes”, I tried to build a rapport with my
subject, tried to make him comfortable so that the experiment can be conducted easily and
smoothly without any hurdles. After a while, when I felt he was quite comfortable with me,
firstly, I gave him a gist about the experiment as to what the experiment is about and why I have
chosen him for my experiment. After he understood a short brief regarding my experiment, I
gave the instructions for the experiment as to how the experiment is going to be conducted and
what all things he needs to do and what all things he needs to take care of. During the experiment
I kept observing his expressions and behavior to check whether he is comfortable or not. At the
end of the experiment, I also took feedback from him about how he felt about the experiment.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBJECTS:

FOR SUBJECT 1 -

1. You have to be seated at one place until the experiment conduction is finished or your
experimenter allows you (for emergency reasons only).
2. You will have to do the experiment in 4 conditions. The 4 conditions given below have to
be followed by you:

CONDITION 1 -

A. (Near Condition) The laptop will be kept in front of you at a distance of 30 centimeters
and then on the experiment tab, press the ‘Spacebar’ or the ‘Start button’ on the screen to
start the experiment.
B. Keep your eyes fixated on the red plus sign in the middle of the screen.
C. A dot will be presented above this mark.
D. After it has been presented, buttons will appear asking if you have seen the dot.
E. Click or press ‘Yes’ (or the ‘z’ key) if you have seen the dot and ‘No’, (or press the ‘l’
key) if you have not seen the dot.
F. After the completion of all the trials, you will have to remain seated in your place and the
experimenter will guide you about the further details.

CONDITION 2 -

A. (Far Condition) The laptop will be kept in front of you at a distance of 1.5 meters and
then on the experiment tab, press the ‘Spacebar’ or the ‘Start button’ on the screen to start
the experiment.
B. Keep your eyes fixated on the red plus sign in the middle of the screen.
C. A dot will be presented above this mark.
D. After it has been presented, buttons will appear asking if you have seen the dot.
E. Click or press ‘Yes’ (or the ‘z’ key) if you have seen the dot and ‘No’, (or press the ‘l’
key) if you have not seen the dot.
 F. After the completion of all the trials, you will have to remain seated in your place and the
experimenter will guide you about the further details.

5 MINUTES BREAK WILL BE GIVEN.

CONDITION 3 -

A. (Far Condition) The laptop will be kept in front of you at a distance of 1.5 meters and
then on the experiment tab, press the ‘Spacebar’ or the ‘Start button’ on the screen to start
the experiment.
B. Keep your eyes fixated on the red plus sign in the middle of the screen.
C. A dot will be presented above this mark.
D. After it has been presented, buttons will appear asking if you have seen the dot.
E. Click or press ‘Yes’ (or the ‘z’ key) if you have seen the dot and ‘No’, (or press the ‘l’
key) if you have not seen the dot.
F. After the completion of all the trials, you will have to remain seated in your place and the
experimenter will guide you about the further details.

CONDITION 4 -

A. (Near Condition) The laptop will be kept in front of you at a distance of 30 centimeters
and then on the experiment tab, press the ‘Spacebar’ or the ‘Start button’ on the screen to
start the experiment.
B. Keep your eyes fixated on the red plus sign in the middle of the screen.
C. A dot will be presented above this mark.
D. After it has been presented, buttons will appear asking if you have seen the dot.
E. Click or press ‘Yes’ (or the ‘z’ key) if you have seen the dot and ‘No’, (or press the ‘l’
key) if you have not seen the dot.
F. After the completion of all the trials, you will have to remain seated in your place and the
experimenter will guide you about the further details.

FOR SUBJECT 2 -
3. You have to be seated at one place until the experiment conduction is finished or your
experimenter allows you (for emergency reasons only).
4. You will have to do the experiment in 4 conditions. The 4 conditions given below have to
be followed by you:

CONDITION 1 -

A. (Far Condition) The laptop will be kept in front of you at a distance of 1.5 meters and
then on the experiment tab, press the ‘Spacebar’ or the ‘Start button’ on the screen to start
the experiment.
B. Keep your eyes fixated on the red plus sign in the middle of the screen.
C. A dot will be presented above this mark.
D. After it has been presented, buttons will appear asking if you have seen the dot.
E. Click or press ‘Yes’ (or the ‘z’ key) if you have seen the dot and ‘No’, (or press the ‘l’
key) if you have not seen the dot.
F. After the completion of all the trials, you will have to remain seated in your place and the
experimenter will guide you about the further details.

CONDITION 2 -

A. (Near Condition) The laptop will be kept in front of you at a distance of 30 centimeters
and then on the experiment tab, press the ‘Spacebar’ or the ‘Start button’ on the screen to
start the experiment.
B. Keep your eyes fixated on the red plus sign in the middle of the screen.
C. A dot will be presented above this mark.
D. After it has been presented, buttons will appear asking if you have seen the dot.
E. Click or press ‘Yes’ (or the ‘z’ key) if you have seen the dot and ‘No’, (or press the ‘l’
key) if you have not seen the dot.
F. After the completion of all the trials, you will have to remain seated in your place and the
experimenter will guide you about the further details.

5 MINUTES BREAK WILL BE GIVEN.

CONDITION 3 -
A. (Near Condition) The laptop will be kept in front of you at a distance of 30 centimeters
and then on the experiment tab, press the ‘Spacebar’ or the ‘Start button’ on the screen to
start the experiment.
B. Keep your eyes fixated on the red plus sign in the middle of the screen.
C. A dot will be presented above this mark.
D. After it has been presented, buttons will appear asking if you have seen the dot.
E. Click or press ‘Yes’ (or the ‘z’ key) if you have seen the dot and ‘No’, (or press the ‘l’
key) if you have not seen the dot.
F. After the completion of all the trials, you will have to remain seated in your place and the
experimenter will guide you about the further details.

CONDITION 4 -

A. (Far Condition) The laptop will be kept in front of you at a distance of 1.5 meters and
then on the experiment tab, press the ‘Spacebar’ or the ‘Start button’ on the screen to start
the experiment.
B. Keep your eyes fixated on the red plus sign in the middle of the screen.
C. A dot will be presented above this mark.
D. After it has been presented, buttons will appear asking if you have seen the dot.
E. Click or press ‘Yes’ (or the ‘z’ key) if you have seen the dot and ‘No’, (or press the ‘l’
key) if you have not seen the dot.
F. After the completion of all the trials, you will have to remain seated in your place and the
experimenter will guide you about the further details.

Introspective report:

BY SUBJECT 1 –

ME: “How was the experiment according to you and how and what did you feel during

the conduction of the experiment?”

SUBJECT: It was an interesting experiment. I did this kind of experiment for the first
time in my life. It was a new experience for me. I gained some knowledge about absolute
 threshold and understood how they are useful for the five senses. In the beginning trials, I
felt that it is so boring to repeatedly detect the dot but, after a few trials I gained interest
in detecting the dots. It was a good and thrilling experience for me.

BY SUBJECT 2 –

ME: “How was the experiment according to you and how and what did you feel during

the conduction of the experiment?”

SUBJECT: First of all, I would like to thank the experimenter, Sanya, who gave me the
chance to be a part of this experiment. I always like to gain knowledge about various
things and today after the completion of the experiment I gained some knowledge of
psychophysics and absolute threshold. This experiment taught me how psychophysics
and absolute threshold can be applied practically and I also learned how experiments can
be conducted on these topics. It was a really very good experiment for me and I liked to
be a part of this experiment.

ACTUAL PROCEDURE:

SUBJECT 1 - The experiment was conducted at the subject's home. My subject was a 17 year
high-school student. To conduct the experiment, I made my subject sit in front of me. For a good
rapport between me and my subject, I just talked to him for a while about himself and also to
make him comfortable for the experiment. At first, he looked a bit tense but after having some
conversation with me he felt quite comfortable with me. When I felt that he was comfortable I
started talking about the experiment, gave him the instructions of my experiment and after he
understood my instructions regarding what he needs to do throughout the experiment, I kept the
laptop in front of him according to the first condition. I instructed him to press the ‘Start’ button
to start the experiment whenever he was ready and then for the rest of the conditions, the same
instructions were repeated. His first condition was to keep the laptop screen at a distance of 30
centimeters for detecting the dots. His second condition was to keep the laptop screen at a
distance of 1.5 meters for detecting the dots. His third condition was to keep the laptop screen at
a distance of 1.5 meters for detecting the dots. His fourth condition was to keep the laptop screen
at a distance of 30 centimeters for detecting the dots. At first, he looked a bit tense but, after
sometime, he was comfortable completing the experiment with confidence. After completing 2
conditions, my subject was given a 5 minute break and the rest 2 conditions were to be
completed after the break.

SUBJECT 2 - The experiment was conducted at the subject's home. My subject was a 41 year
old working person. To conduct the experiment, I made my subject sit in front of me. For a good
rapport between me and my subject, I just talked to him for a while about himself and also to
make him comfortable for the experiment. At first, he looked a bit tense but after having some
conversation with me he felt quite comfortable with me. When I felt that he was comfortable I
started talking about the experiment, gave him the instructions of my experiment and after he
understood my instructions regarding what he needs to do throughout the experiment, I kept the
laptop in front of him according to the first condition. I instructed him to press the ‘Start’ button
to start the experiment whenever he was ready and then for the rest of the conditions, the same
instructions were repeated. His first condition was to keep the laptop screen at a distance of 1.5
meters for detecting the dots. His second condition was to keep the laptop screen at a distance of
30 centimeters for detecting the dots. His third condition was to keep the laptop screen at a
distance of 30 centimeters for detecting the dots. His fourth condition was to keep the laptop
screen at a distance of 1.5 meters for detecting the dots. At first, he looked a bit tense but, after
sometime, he was comfortable completing the experiment with confidence. After completing 2
conditions, my subject was given a 5 minute break and the rest 2 conditions were to be
completed after the break.

Qualitative result:

FOR SUBJECT 1 – With subject 1, I felt and observed that he was confident since the
beginning of the experiment. I observed that he had a gentle smile on his face, his eyebrows were
also stable, his forehead did not have lines, meaning, his face looked totally relaxed which made
me feel that he was very relaxed and calm and this was throughout the experiment. I also
observed that in each trial he tried to detect the dot very accurately. He was focused and
concentrated throughout the experiment.
FOR SUBJECT 2 – With subject 2, I felt and observed that he was tapping his feet and was
rubbing his palms, so I felt that he was a bit nervous and tensed but, after few trials he smiled
and for the rest of the trials he did not rub his palms or tap his feet. Then, he showed confidence
and enthusiasm in each trial and completed the experiment with a gentle smile on his face. This
was also a motivating factor for me as my subject was comfortable and happy during the
experiment and also for the experiment.

Quantitative result:

SUBJECT 1 -

CONDITION 1 (NEAR):

TRIAL RELATIVE RESPONSE

DOT
LUMINANCE
(DISPLAY
VALUES)

1 50 1

2 43 1

3 36 1

4 29 1

5 22 1

6 15 1

7 8 0

8 1 0
9 8 1

10 50 1

11 43 1

12 36 1

13 29 1

14 22 1

15 15 1

16 8 1

17 1 0

18 1 0

19 8 0

20 15 1

21 50 1

22 43 1

23 36 1

24 29 1

25 22 1
26 15 1

27 8 1

28 1 0

29 1 0

30 8 1

31 50 1

32 43 1

33 36 1

34 29 1

35 22 1

36 15 1

37 8 1

38 1 0

39 1 0

40 8 1
CONDITION 2 (FAR):

TRIAL RELATIVE RESPONSE

DOT
LUMINANCE
(DISPLAY
VALUES)

1 50 1

2 43 1

3 36 1

4 29 1

5 22 1

6 15 1

7 8 1

8 1 1
9 1 0

10 8 0

11 50 1

12 43 1

13 36 1

14 29 1

15 22 1

16 15 1

17 8 1

18 1 1

19 1 0

20 8 0

21 50 1

22 43 1

23 36 1

24 29 1

25 22 1
26 15 1

27 8 1

28 1 1

29 1 0

30 8 0

31 50 1

32 43 1

33 36 1

34 29 1

35 22 1

36 15 1

37 8 1

38 1 0

39 1 0

40 8 1
CONDITION 3 (FAR):

TRIAL RELATIVE RESPONSE

DOT
LUMINANCE
(DISPLAY
VALUES)

1 50 1

2 43 1

3 36 1

4 29 1

5 22 1

6 15 1

7 8 1

8 1 0
9 1 0

10 8 1

11 50 1

12 43 1

13 36 1

14 29 1

15 22 1

16 15 1

17 8 1

18 1 0

19 1 0

20 8 1

21 50 1

22 43 1

23 36 1

24 29 1

25 22 1
26 15 1

27 8 1

28 1 0

29 1 0

30 8 1

31 50 1

32 43 1

33 36 1

34 29 1

35 22 1

36 15 1

37 8 1

38 1 0

39 1 0

40 8 1
CONDITION 4 (NEAR):

TRIAL RELATIVE RESPONSE

DOT
LUMINANCE
(DISPLAY
VALUES)

1 50 1

2 43 1

3 36 1

4 29 1

5 22 1

6 15 1

7 8 1

8 1 0
9 1 0

10 8 1

11 50 1

12 43 1

13 36 1

14 29 1

15 22 1

16 15 1

17 8 1

18 1 0

19 1 0

20 8 1

21 50 1

22 43 1

23 36 1

24 29 1

25 22 1
26 15 1

27 8 1

28 1 0

29 1 0

30 8 1

31 50 1

32 43 1

33 36 1

34 29 1

35 22 1

36 15 1

37 8 0

38 1 0

39 1 1

40 8 1
SUBJECT 2 -

CONDITION 1 (FAR):

TRIAL RELATIVE RESPONSE

DOT
LUMINANCE
(DISPLAY
VALUES)

1 50 1

2 43 1

3 36 1

4 29 1

5 22 1

6 15 0

7 1 0
8 8 0

9 15 0

10 22 1

11 50 1

12 43 1

13 36 1

14 29 1

15 22 1

16 15 1

17 8 1

18 1 0

19 1 0

20 8 0

21 15 0

22 22 1

23 50 1

24 43 1
25 36 1

26 29 1

27 22 1

28 15 1

29 8 1

30 1 1

31 1 0

32 1 0

33 8 0

34 15 0

35 22 1

36 50 1

37 43 1

38 36 1

39 29 1

40 22 1
CONDITION 2 (NEAR):

TRIAL RELATIVE RESPONSE

DOT
LUMINANCE
(DISPLAY
VALUES)

1 50 1

2 43 1

3 36 1

4 29 1

5 22 1

6 15 1

7 8 1

8 1 0
9 1 0

10 8 1

11 50 1

12 43 1

13 36 1

14 29 1

15 22 1

16 15 1

17 8 0

18 1 0

19 1 0

20 8 1

21 50 1

22 43 1

23 36 1

24 29 1

25 22 1
26 15 1

27 8 1

28 1 0

29 1 0

30 8 1

31 50 1

32 43 1

33 36 1

34 29 1

35 22 1

36 15 1

37 8 1

38 1 0

39 1 0

40 8 1
CONDITION 3 (NEAR):

TRIAL RELATIVE RESPONSE

DOT
LUMINANCE
(DISPLAY
VALUES)

1 50 1

2 43 1

3 36 1

4 29 1

5 22 1

6 15 1

7 8 1

8 1 0
9 1 0

10 8 1

11 50 1

12 43 1

13 36 1

14 29 1

15 22 1

16 15 1

17 8 1

18 1 0

19 1 0

20 8 1

21 50 1

22 43 1

23 36 1

24 29 1

25 22 1
26 15 1

27 8 1

28 1 0

29 1 0

30 8 1

31 50 1

32 43 1

33 36 1

34 29 1

35 22 1

36 15 1

37 8 1

38 1 0

39 1 0

40 8 1
CONDITION 4 (FAR):

TRIAL RELATIVE RESPONSE

DOT
LUMINANCE
(DISPLAY
VALUES)

1 50 1

2 43 1

3 36 1

4 29 1

5 22 1

6 15 1

7 8 0

8 1 0
9 8 0

10 15 1

11 50 1

12 43 1

13 36 1

14 29 1

15 22 1

16 15 1

17 8 0

18 1 0

19 8 1

20 50 1

21 43 1

22 36 1

23 29 1

24 22 1

25 15 1
26 8 1

27 1 0

28 1 0

29 8 0

30 15 1

31 50 1

32 43 1

33 36 1

34 29 1

35 22 1

36 15 1

37 8 0

38 1 0

39 8 0

40 15 1
INFORMED CONSENT

SUBJECT 1:
SUBJECT 2 -
 DISCUSSION

So, we have discussed a lot many things regarding ‘Absolute Threshold’. We talked
about the meaning of both the words separately, i.e., ‘Absolute’ and ‘Threshold’ and the
meaning of the combined word ‘Absolute Threshold’, we also talked about how the five
senses are useful in Absolute Threshold, factors influencing Absolute Threshold, the
process of measuring Absolute Threshold using Method of Limits, etc. In ‘Absolute
Threshold’, the term ‘Threshold’ is the lowest point at which a particular stimulus
will cause a response in an organism. Simply put, thresholds refer to limit values, and
in this case, it means that our perceptions have limits.And, the term ‘Absolute
Threshold’ is the lowest level of stimulus that a person can detect 50% of the time.
The absolute threshold is an important topic in psychology. The absolute threshold can be
used to identify the minimum level a person can detect of a variety of stimuli including
vision, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. To have a balanced approach for determining the
absolute threshold, 50% detectability is considered to deal with the issue of individual
differences and external and internal factors. The method used by psychologists to find
the absolute threshold of a person is called the method of limits where a stimulus is
presented to a person in ascending or descending order of its intensity.
So, basically in Absolute Threshold, if a person is having lesser Absolute threshold, then
he/she will be able to detect the stimulus quickly and easily than the person having more
Absolute Threshold.
So, let us discuss the Absolute Threshold values of both the subjects and we will be able
to understand who had the ability to quickly and easily detect the stimulus.
So, my objective was to measure the Absolute threshold of an adolescent and a middle
aged person through method of limits using counterbalancing technique and to
understand and know the relationship between the distance of the subject from the laptop
screen and the hypothesis was that, the absolute threshold will differ in both kinds of
individuals and the absolute threshold of an adolescent person will be lesser than that of a
middle aged person. The subjects had to do the experiment on the laptop, where, on the
screen, they were being shown stimulus, which contained a red plus sign in the middle of
the laptop screen where the subjects had to focus and above which the dots in different
intensities were presented and the subjects had to press the ‘yes’ button if they saw a dot
and ‘no’ if they didn’t and this was to be done for 4 times in 4 conditions.
Here, the first subject (adolescent person) had to follow the conditions in the order and
the second subject (middle-aged person) had to follow the conditions in the reverse order
(Counterbalancing technique).
For subject 1, the conditions were, Near, Far (5 minute break) then Far and Near.
For subject 2, the conditions were Far, Near (5 minute break) then Near and Far.
This means, they had to keep the laptop screen in these 4 distances and then do the
experiment.
 So, for Subject 1, the Absolute threshold values were, in first condition, the value was
found to be 6.25 (near), in second condition, the value was found to be 4.50 (far), in third
condition, the value was found to be 4.50 and in fourth condition, the value was found to
be 5.38 .

LIMITATIONS:

o The sample size was too small as the experiment was done only on two subjects.

o The experiment was conducted only on male subjects so the results cannot be generalized
to the general population including members of the opposite/ differing sex.

o The age-range of the subjects was 12-18 and 40-65 , so the experiment and its
results cannot be applied to people of other age-ranges.

USES OF THE EXPERIMENT:

o This experiment can be used and can be helpful for further researches on Absolute
Threshold or for researches related to Psychophysics, Absolute threshold, Sensation and
Perception.

o It can also be helpful and useful for school teachers and college professors to check and
measure the Absolute Threshold in their students using this experiment.
 o It can also be used in various companies, factories, offices and industries to check and
measure the Absolute Threshold of the employees using this experiment.

o It can just be read for the sake of knowledge by different people, to know about
Psychophysics, Absolute threshold, Sensation and Perception and how experiments can
be conducted on this topic.

o It can be helpful and useful to parents if they want to measure and know the Absolute
threshold in their children.

o It can be used in many other psychological research areas such as recognition memory
and clinical assessments.

o It can be used in hospitals and other health care centers and also by psychologists to
check and measure the Absolute threshold of their patients or clients if their patients or
clients are having issues like memory loss, focusing or concentrating issues, eye
problems, etc.

REFERENCES

For introduction of Absolute Threshold:

● verywellmind.com
● en.wikipedia.org
● psychologydictionary.org
● dictionary.apa.org
● study.com
● encyclopedia.com
● explorepsychology.com
● albert.io
● differencebetween.net
For ROL:

(By, M.A. Bouman in 1955) (Absolute Threshold Conditions for Visual Perception)
opg.optica.org

(By, Peter Heil, Heinrich Neubauer, Andreas Tiefenau and Hellmut von Specht in 2006)
(Comparison of Absolute Thresholds Derived from an Adaptive Forced-Choice Procedure
and from Reaction Probabilities and Reaction Times in a Simple Reaction Time Paradigm)
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

(By, Darren Koenig and Heidi Hofer in 2011) (The Absolute Threshold of Cone Vision)
jov.arvojournals.org

(By, Michael S. Osmanski and Xiaoqin Wang in 2011) (Measurement of absolute auditory
thresholds in the common marmoset [Callithrix jacchus]) ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

(By, Lucia Orellana-Escobedo, Jose de Jesus Ornelas-Paz, Guadalupe I. Olivas and

Joseangel Guerrero-Beltran in 2012) (Determination of Absolute Threshold and Just
Noticeable Difference in the Sensory Perception of Pungency) researchgate.net

For Experiment Conduction:

https://isle.hanover.edu/Ch02Methods/Ch02MethodOfLimits_evt.html
NAME OF THE STUDENT: SANYA VAIDYA

PRN: 2020033800145066

TYBA (GIA)

2022-23

TEACHER’S NAME: MS. DHRUVIKA JHALA