Fechner made perception measurable by tying it mathematically to physical stimuli

Evidence

The solution, for graphing and for our senses, is to use logarithms. Gustav Theodor Fechner (1801-1887) was a contemporary of Helmholtz, and like him a physicist, physiologist, and philosopher. After a series of innovative experiments, he concluded in 1860 that our sensation of a stimulus is proportional to the logarithm of the strength of the stimulus, and not proportional to the strength itself. Fechner’s famous law governing the sensation S is where R is the stimulus. — Eric J. Heller, Why You Hear What You Hear- An…, 1997 (#expands, via linked claim)

Figure 2–12 illustrates a psychometric function, which plots the percentage of sound detections as a function of signal level in dB SPL. In the example illustrated here, the method used to determine the response to a given stimulus was a yes/no task. In a yes/no task, a listener is given an observation interval in which the stimulus is either present or not. The listener then responds either “yes, I heard a signal” or “no, I did not hear a signal.” — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 284 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Fechner’s logarithmic law is mathematically equivalent to Weber’s proportional-JND law; Sensation grows with the logarithm of stimulus strength rather than the strength itself — Eric J. Heller, Why You Hear What You Hear- An…, 1997; Psychometric functions map continuous stimulus scales onto probabilistic detection judgements — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 284 (+1 more)

Related

• Sensation grows with the logarithm of stimulus strength rather than the strength itself (similarity 0.91)
• Fechner’s logarithmic law is mathematically equivalent to Weber’s proportional-JND law (similarity 0.84)
• Articulation scores require logarithmic modification to attain additivity (similarity 0.84)
• Fechner’s logarithmic law and Weber’s ratio law are one and the same. (similarity 0.82)
• Fechner made conscious perception measurable and founded experimental psychology (similarity 0.81)
• Psychometric functions map continuous stimulus scales onto probabilistic detection judgements (similarity 0.81)
• Psychophysical functions map continuous physical sound scales onto varied perceptual scales. (similarity 0.80)

Broader Connections

• Sensation grows with the logarithm of stimulus strength rather than the strength itself #expands (0.85) — Eric J. Heller, Why You Hear What You Hear- An…, 1997
• Psychometric functions map continuous stimulus scales onto probabilistic detection judgements #expands (0.80) — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 284
• Psychophysical scales are built from repeated ratio-adjustment judgments plus an anchor point #expands (0.78)