Tærskelstigning

Tærskelstigning refers to a phenomenon where the perceived intensity of a stimulus needs to increase by a greater amount to be detected as a change, as the original intensity of the stimulus itself increases. This concept is often discussed in the context of psychophysics, the study of the relationship between physical stimuli and the sensations and perceptions they produce.

The underlying principle of tærskelstigning is closely related to Weber's law, also known as the Weber-Fechner law. Weber's law states that the just-noticeable difference (JND) between two stimuli is a constant proportion of the magnitude of the original stimulus. For example, if you are holding a 1kg weight, you might need an additional 0.1kg to notice a difference. However, if you are holding a 10kg weight, you would likely need an additional 1kg to perceive the same change. This demonstrates that the absolute increase in intensity required to detect a change is larger at higher initial intensities.

Tærskelstigning is not limited to a single sensory modality but applies across various senses, including vision, audition, touch, and even taste and smell. The specific proportion or "Weber fraction" varies depending on the sensory system being considered. Understanding tærskelstigning is crucial for various fields, including the design of user interfaces, marketing, and the development of assistive technologies, as it helps predict how humans will perceive changes in sensory information.