The smallest possible stimulus that can be detected half the time, or the minimum level of stimulation that we can detect, is called:
A) subliminal perception.
B) the absolute threshold.
C) the just noticeable difference, or difference threshold.
D) the perceptual threshold.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The smallest possible stimulus that can be detected half the time is called the absolute threshold. It represents the minimum level of stimulation that we can perceive. This is different from subliminal perception, which refers to stimuli that are below our absolute threshold and therefore not consciously perceived. The just noticeable difference (C) refers to the smallest difference between two stimuli that can be detected half the time, and the perceptual threshold (D) is not a widely recognized term in psychology.

The Smallest Possible Stimulus That Can Be Detected Half the Time