Crossing the Threshold

We call the minimum amount of energy the sense organ can detect the detection threshold or absolute threshold. The difference threshold or just
noticeable difference (jnd)is the smallest change in energy that the sense organ can perceive; the amount of change needed to tell that two things
are different. We use these abilities constantly as we perform our everyday tasks. There is also debate about how much we rely on information
that is below our ability to detect. Energy that cannot be detected by a sense organ is called subliminal or subthreshold.

For each of the situations below, identify which of the following concepts is necessary to complete the task successfully: absolute
threshold, difference threshold, or subthreshold. Then think up your own examples from your daily life to illustrate these concepts.

Part I

1. A woman preparing for a trip to Mexico tries to learn Spanish using a “Learn While You Sleep” tape.
2. A sentry on night duty notices a very soft noise and calls out for the thief to “Halt!”
3. A father takes his children to the playground. During the visit, a child starts to cry. Without looking, the father can tell that it is not his child’s
cry.
4. There is a sale on 5-pound prepackaged russet potato bags. In order to make sure that you get the most for your money, you pick up several to
see which is the heaviest.
5. You help your friend look for her contact lens on her white kitchen floor.
6. A music group records the phrase “Buy our Tapes” backwards in one of their songs.
7. It is late night and you are trying to go to bed without waking your roommate. You want to find your favorite pajamas without turning on the
light. After carefully and quietly opening your dresser drawer, you reach in and try to pick it out of the four other things that are in the drawer.
8. You are one of the judges in a chili-tasting contest and are trying to select the winner of the “Hottest Chili” award.
9. In that same chili-tasting contest, you are asked to try to identify which of ten chili samples contains cinnamon.

Your examples;

Absolute Threshold:

Difference Threshold:

Subliminal Threshold:
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Introductq;ry Psychology II Copyrigh_t © 1 Q93 by

HarperCollins College Publishers
The world has noisy data. Data impinging on a receiver has four categories.
1) Did the event/stimulus occur or not?
2) Did the receiver detect the event/stimulus or not?

Signal detection theory combines properties of both the stimulus and respondent (receiver
operator characteristics) together to explain and understand the quality of the decision. It reflects
both perceptual sensitivity and decision making style.

In a signal detection experiment a signal (tone for example) of the same low fixed intensity is
presented in half the trials and no signal (tone) is presented in the other half of the trials. There
are four possible outcomes.

Hit: Signal is present and the person responds.

False Alarm: Signal is not present and the person responds
Miss: Signal is present but the person doesn't respond
Correct Rejection: Signal is not present and the person doesn't respond

Assume there were 50 trials.

SIGNAL DETECTION Respond yes Respond no

THEORY
Stimulus present Hit Miss
(A true positive) (A false negative)
Tone presented 50 times
29 Hits 21 Misses

Stimulus absent False alarm Correct rejection

(A false positive) (A true negative)
Tone not presented 50 times
16 False Alarms 34 Correct rejections

From these results a researcher can calculate the hit rate, miss rate, false alarm rate and correct
rejection rate.

The hit rate is 29/50 = 58% or .58

Determine the false alarm rate
Determine the miss rate
Determine the correct rejection rate __.

When the stimulus is present the response must be a hit or a miss.

When the stimulus is absent the response must be a false alarm or correct rejection.
If the person responds yes it must be a hit or false alarm.
If the person responds no it must be a miss or correct rejection.

Answer each question in complete sentences. Please number your answers.

Part II
1) Of the following four outcomes; hit, false alarm, miss and correct rejection, which two
are errors? Explain
2) Give a good example where a false alarm is worse than a miss.
3)3) Give a good example where a miss is worse than a false alarm
4) Give the advantage of using signal detection theory compared to absolute threshold
theory
5) Give a good example of a situation or experience that would increase a person's rate of
making false alarms.

Part III
A) Choose two of the following occupations/scenarios and describe how a member of that
profession/scenario could demonstrate a hit, false alarm, miss and correct rejection.

Teacher, baseball/softball pitcher, detective, poker player, bounty hunter, car

mechanic, doctor, member of a jury, comedian, weather forecaster, college admission
counselor and airport security agent.

B) Make up a scenario and using that scenario for all four possibilities give an example of a
hit, false alarm, miss and correct rejection. Clearly label the hit, miss, false alarm and
correct rejection. Try to be creative and unique in your answer.