Webertörvény

The Webertörvény, often translated as the "Weber Law," is a principle in psychophysics that describes the relationship between the intensity of a stimulus and the perception of that stimulus. Specifically, it states that the just-noticeable difference (JND) between two stimuli is a constant proportion of the magnitude of the original stimulus. This means that the amount of change required to detect a difference is not an absolute amount, but rather a relative one. For example, if you are holding a 10-gram weight, you might notice the addition of 1 gram. However, if you are holding a 100-gram weight, you would likely need to add 10 grams before you could perceive the difference. The ratio of the added weight to the original weight (1/10 in both cases) remains constant.

This law, first formulated by German physiologist Ernst Heinrich Weber, has significant implications for understanding human perception across various sensory modalities, including vision, hearing, and touch. It suggests that our sensory systems adapt to background levels of stimulation. The JND is also known as the difference threshold. The constant proportion is often referred to as Weber's fraction. While the Webertörvény is a foundational principle, it's important to note that it is an approximation and may not hold true for all ranges of stimulus intensity or for all individuals. Nevertheless, it provides a valuable framework for studying the limits and characteristics of human sensory experience.