Adaptive step size must be smaller than the psychometric function’s range

Evidence

Any adaptive procedure that samples the psychometric function for detection should use a step size smaller than the range encompassed by the psychometric function. This is the only way that a tester can ensure that an adaptive procedure will sample some of the stimulus levels that fall within the psychometric function. — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 308

Categorization

Category: Causal Relationships

• DEFINE: Establishes the design constraint linking step size to psychometric function span.

Related

• Smaller step sizes in audiometry detect feigned hearing loss (similarity 0.83)
• Adaptive procedures converge on thresholds without explicit psychometric functions (similarity 0.83)
• Psychoacoustic results depend on experimental procedure and sensitivity rises with alternatives. (similarity 0.80)
• Adaptive staircase procedures trade efficiency and bias avoidance against convergence risk (similarity 0.80)
• Adaptive procedures adjust stimulus intensity based on prior responses and converge on thresholds (similarity 0.80)
• Adaptive threshold methods trade fast converging results against convergence risk (similarity 0.80)
• Experimental results in psychoacoustics depend on the measurement procedure used (similarity 0.79)
• Accuracy and function-shape information trade off against speed in threshold measurement (similarity 0.79)
• Adaptive staircase procedures converge to thresholds by adjusting signal level per answer (similarity 0.79)