EFFECTS OF SENSORY ADAPTATION ON FORM OF PSYCHOPHYSICAL MAGNITUDE FUNCTION FOR CUTANEOUS VIBRATION

THE FORM OF THE PSYCHOPHYSICAL MAGNITUDE FUNCTION FOR 60-CPS CUTANEOUS VIBRATION WAS INFLUENCED BY THE STATE OF ADAPTATION OF THE STIMULATED SKIN AREA IN 4 MALE STUDENTS. THROUGH THE USE OF A COMBINATION OF INTENSITY-MATCHING AND MAGNITUDE-ESTIMATION PROCEDURES, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SENSATION MAGNITUDE AND VIBRATION AMPLITUDE WAS EXAMINED FOLLOWING 5, 60, 120, 180, AND 360 SEC. OF RECOVERY FROM 10 MIN. OF CONTINUOUS AND INTENSE VIBROTACTILE STIMULATION OF THE FINGERTIP. FOR EACH RECOVERY PERIOD SENSATION MAGNITUDE ON THE FINGERTIP WAS FOUND TO INCREASE AS A POWER FUNCTION OF VIBRATION AMPLITUDE ACCORDING TO THE GENERAL FORMULA PSI = KAPPA (PHI-PHIO)N, WHERE PSI IS THE ABSOLUTE SENSATION MAGNITUDE, KAPPA IS A CONSTANT, PHI IS STIMULUS AMPLITUDE, PHIO IS THE ABSOLUTE THRESHOLD, AND N IS THE POWER EXPONENT. RECOVERY FROM ADAPTATION HAD THE EFFECT OF INCREASING THE VALUE OF KAPPA AND REDUCING THE VALUES OF PHIO AND N. RESULTS FURTHER SUPPORTED THE GENERAL APPLICABILITY OF STEVENS' REVISED POWER LAW. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1968 American Psychological Association.