2 I6 TttEMA 5 internal consistency the straight line fitted to the experimental data should cut the origo. In our experiments the highest degree of internal consistency is reached by the ratio matrix of Experiment 2, but also the two other experiments appear relatively satisfacto~,. RESPONSE LATENCY AS AN APPROACH TO SCALING OF STIMULUS STRENG'I~! VIDKUNN COUCHERON THRANE Oslo (Nor~'ay) Indexes of the elficiency and dimensional attributes of perception have primarily been derived from frequency measures. An alternative approach, based on the assumption that equally dillicult discriminations have the same latency, may provide more sensitive measures for supraliminal research, provided due regard is paid to the preparatory as well as to the sensory factors involved in the total reaction. Indications arc that interaction between stimulus and organismic vari- ables may reduce the differential effect of a stimulus variable as gauged by the latency or" a perceptual-motor response. RT-intensity functions over the total range of stimulation are thus partly dependent upon the particular procedure used in presenting the stimulus variants to the respondent. It is recommended that speci~c pre-knowledge of the expected stimulus should be kept at a minimum, and that imperceptible stimuli (or "blanks") always should be included in order to equalize the preparatory effort as much as possible at all levels of sensory' stimulation. A series o:~ detailed reports are tinder publication in the Scandinavian Journal of Ps3'chology 1960, 1, f. on sensory and preparatory factors in response latency.

Response latency as an approach to scaling of stimulus strength

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Page 1: Response latency as an approach to scaling of stimulus strength

2 I6 TttEMA 5

internal consistency the straight line fitted to the experimental data should cut the origo. In our experiments the highest degree of internal consistency is reached by the ratio matrix of Experiment 2, but also the two other experiments appear relatively satisfacto~,.

RESPONSE L A T E N C Y AS AN A P P R O A C H TO SCALING OF

STIMULUS STRENG'I~!

VIDKUNN COUCHERON THRANE

Oslo (Nor~'ay)

Indexes of the elficiency and dimensional attributes of perception have primarily been derived from frequency measures. An alternative approach, based on the assumption that equally dillicult discriminations have the same latency, may provide more sensitive measures for supraliminal research, provided due regard is paid to the preparatory as well as to the sensory factors involved in the total reaction.

Indications arc that interaction between stimulus and organismic vari- ables may reduce the differential effect of a stimulus variable as gauged by the latency or" a perceptual-motor response. RT-intensity functions over the total range of stimulation are thus partly dependent upon the particular procedure used in presenting the stimulus variants to the respondent.

It is recommended that speci~c pre-knowledge of the expected stimulus should be kept at a minimum, and that imperceptible stimuli (or "blanks") always should be included in order to equalize the preparatory effort as much as possible at all levels of sensory' stimulation.

A series o:~ detailed reports are tinder publication in the Scandinavian Journal of Ps3'chology 1960, 1, f. on sensory and preparatory factors in response latency.