AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -The absolute threshold for detecting light is greater than you probably imagined-the human eye can see a candle on a clear night up to 30 miles away! The sensitivity of a given sensory system to the relevant stimuli can be expressed as an absolute threshold.

Detailed explanation-2: -Vision-A candle flame 30 miles away. Hearing-A watch ticking 20 feet away. Smell-A drop of perfume in a 6-room house. Taste-A teaspoon of sugar in a gallon of water.

Detailed explanation-3: -It has been estimated that on a clear night, the most sensitive sensory cells in the back of the eye can detect a candle flame 30 miles away (Okawa & Sampath, 2007). Under quiet conditions, the hair cells (the receptor cells of the inner ear) can detect the tick of a clock 20 feet away (Galanter, 1962).

Detailed explanation-4: -the minimum above which stimuli enter awareness, characterized in terms of stimulus intensity, duration, and relevance. The threshold concept has been applied to memory and mood as well as to sensory stimulation.

Detailed explanation-5: -An absolute threshold is the smallest level of stimulus that can be detected, usually defined as at least half the time. The term is often used in neuroscience and experimental research and can be applied to any stimulus that can be detected by the human senses including sound, touch, taste, sight, and smell.