standard stimulus

an item used as the basis of comparison in the quantitative investigation of physical stimuli and the sensations and perceptions they produce. For example, in the method of adjustment, a participant may be presented with a sound of a particular intensity (the standard stimulus) and then asked to change the intensity of another sound to match.

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Psychology term of the day

November 27th 2024

weight regulation

a process, governed by a complex array of neural mechanisms and structures (including the hypothalamus), in which the brain seeks an optimum balance between an organism’s food intake and energy expenditure after a certain body weight is achieved. A number of other factors, such as environmental stimuli, may influence the process as well.