AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Signal detection theory is a method of differentiating a person’s ability to discriminate the presence and absence of a stimulus (or different stimulus intensities) from the criterion the person uses to make responses to those stimuli.

Detailed explanation-2: -Signal detection theory (SDT) provides ways of conceptualizing the role of attention both in processing sensory information and in how decisions about what is sensed are reached.

Detailed explanation-3: -Sensory adaptation is the gradual alteration in sensitivity with prolonged stimulation or the absence of stimulation. Being able to see the candle flame is an example of “absolute threshold, ” which is the minimum intensity of a stimulus for humans to be able to detect the stimulus fifty percent of the time.

Detailed explanation-4: -Signal detection theory predicts how one detects the presence of weak stimuli amidst background noise. Detection of stimuli depends on the intensity of the stimuli, environmental noise, response criteria, physical factors such as fatigue or healthiness, and psychological factors such as motivation or expectations.