Dear Noel,
Thanks for your very purposeful comments on my note. I really appreciate and agree with what you have stated. Yes, I have started seeing things in a different light and I believe I can do it.
In a lighter vein, just look at what Physicsts say about 'human perception'. Not sure whether totally relevant to the 'perception' here. But an intersting article. May be Dr could explain the Psychological part of it.
Quote:
The Weber - Fechner law attempts to describe the relationship between the physical magnitudes of stimuli and human perception of the intensity of stimuli.
Ernst Heinrich Weber (1795-1878) was one of the first people to approach the study the human response to a physical stimulus in a quantitative fashion.
Gustav Theodor Fechner (1801-1887) later offered an elaborate theoretical interpretation of Weber's findings, which he called simply Weber's law, though his admirers made the law's name a hyphenate.
Stevens' power law is generally considered to provide a more accurate and/or general description, although both the Weber - Fechner law and Stevens' power law entail implicit assumptions regarding the measurement of perceived intensity of stimuli.
In the case of the Weber - Fechner law, the implicit assumption is that just noticeable differences are additive; i.e. that they can be added in an analogous manner to the addition of units of a physical quantity. Of relevance, L. L. Thurstone made explicit this assumption in terms of the concept of discriminal dispersion inherent within the Law of comparative judgment.
Fechner believed that Weber had discovered the fundamental principle of mind/body interaction, a mathematical analog of the function Rene Descartes once assigned to the pineal gland.
1. The case of weight
In one of his classic experiments, Weber gradually increased the weight that a blindfolded man was holding and asked him to respond when he first felt the increase. Weber found that the response was proportional to a relative increase in the weight. That is to say, if the weight is 1 kg, an increase of a few grams will not be noticed. Rather, when the mass is increased by a certain factor, an increase in weight is perceived. If the mass is doubled, the threshold is also doubled.
This kind of relationship can be described by a differential equation as,
dp = k(ds/s)
where dp is the differential change in perception, dS is the differential increase in the stimulus and S is the stimulus at the instant. A constant factor k is to be determined experimentally.
Integrating the above equation
p = klnS + C
with C is the constant of integration, 'ln' is the natural logarithm.
To determine C, put p = 0, i.e. no perception; then
C = − klnS0
where S0 is that threshold of stimulus below which it is not perceived at all.
Therefore, our equation becomes
p = k In(S/S0)
The relationship between stimulus and perception is logarithmic.
This logarithmic relationship means that if the perception is altered in an arithmetic progression (i.e. add constant amounts) the corresponding stimulus varies as a geometric progression (i.e. multiply by a fixed factor).
The point is that this logarithmic relationship is valid, not just for the sensation of weight, but for other stimuli as well.
The case of vision
The eye senses brightness logarithmically. Hence stellar magnitude is measured on a logarithmic scale. This magnitude scale was invented by the ancient Greek astronomer Hipparchus in about 150 B.C. He ranked the stars he could see in terms of their brightness, with 1 representing the brightest down to 6 representing the faintest, though now the scale has been extended beyond these limits. An increase in 5 magnitudes corresponds to a decrease in brightness by a factor 100.
The case of sound
Still another logarithmic scale is the decibel scale of sound intensity. And yet another is pitch. In the case of perception of pitch, humans hear pitch in a logarithmic or "geometric" ratio-based fashion. For instance, the "pitch distance" between 100 Hz and 150 Hz sounds the same as 1000 Hz and 1500 Hz. The frequency of corresponding notes of adjacent octaves differ by a factor of 2. For notes spaced equally apart to the human ear, the frequencies are related by a multiplicative factor. For instance, for a 12-tone scale in equal temperament, this factor is 12 th root of 2 (twelfth root of 2). So the frequency of the A# note is the frequency of the A times the 12th root of 2, for any octave.
Economics
In 1889, the Austrian economist Friedrich Wieser, in "Natural Value," coined the phrase marginal utility for a closely-related phenomenon -- the satiation of human appetite for identical increments of a good.
"Any one who has just taken a certain quantity of food of a certain kind will not immediately have the same strength of desire for another similar quantity," he wrote. "Within any single period of want every additional act of satisfaction will be estimated less highly than a preceding one obtained from a quantity of goods equal in kind and amount."
A non-Fechnerian interpretation of Weber's results
In 1890, the American psychologist William James described Fechner's writings on the subject of Weber's results as "patient whimsies" and said it would be a pity if Fechner should "compel all future students" of psychology "to plough through the difficulties, not only of his own works, but of the still drier ones written in his refutation."
James saw Weber's law as an accurate generalization as to the friction in the neural machinery.
"If our feelings [of weight, sight, sound, etc.] resulted from a condition of the nerve molecules which it grew ever more difficult for the stimulus to increase, our feelings would naturally grow at a slower rate than the stimulus itself. An ever larger part of the latter's work would go to overcoming the resistances, and an ever smaller part to the realization of the feeling-bringing state."
Unquote:
Does it make some sense. We will have to consult a Physicist, may be.
Thanks
Bala
From India, Madras
20Thanks for your very purposeful comments on my note. I really appreciate and agree with what you have stated. Yes, I have started seeing things in a different light and I believe I can do it.
In a lighter vein, just look at what Physicsts say about 'human perception'. Not sure whether totally relevant to the 'perception' here. But an intersting article. May be Dr could explain the Psychological part of it.
Quote:
The Weber - Fechner law attempts to describe the relationship between the physical magnitudes of stimuli and human perception of the intensity of stimuli.
Ernst Heinrich Weber (1795-1878) was one of the first people to approach the study the human response to a physical stimulus in a quantitative fashion.
Gustav Theodor Fechner (1801-1887) later offered an elaborate theoretical interpretation of Weber's findings, which he called simply Weber's law, though his admirers made the law's name a hyphenate.
Stevens' power law is generally considered to provide a more accurate and/or general description, although both the Weber - Fechner law and Stevens' power law entail implicit assumptions regarding the measurement of perceived intensity of stimuli.
In the case of the Weber - Fechner law, the implicit assumption is that just noticeable differences are additive; i.e. that they can be added in an analogous manner to the addition of units of a physical quantity. Of relevance, L. L. Thurstone made explicit this assumption in terms of the concept of discriminal dispersion inherent within the Law of comparative judgment.
Fechner believed that Weber had discovered the fundamental principle of mind/body interaction, a mathematical analog of the function Rene Descartes once assigned to the pineal gland.
1. The case of weight
In one of his classic experiments, Weber gradually increased the weight that a blindfolded man was holding and asked him to respond when he first felt the increase. Weber found that the response was proportional to a relative increase in the weight. That is to say, if the weight is 1 kg, an increase of a few grams will not be noticed. Rather, when the mass is increased by a certain factor, an increase in weight is perceived. If the mass is doubled, the threshold is also doubled.
This kind of relationship can be described by a differential equation as,
dp = k(ds/s)
where dp is the differential change in perception, dS is the differential increase in the stimulus and S is the stimulus at the instant. A constant factor k is to be determined experimentally.
Integrating the above equation
p = klnS + C
with C is the constant of integration, 'ln' is the natural logarithm.
To determine C, put p = 0, i.e. no perception; then
C = − klnS0
where S0 is that threshold of stimulus below which it is not perceived at all.
Therefore, our equation becomes
p = k In(S/S0)
The relationship between stimulus and perception is logarithmic.
This logarithmic relationship means that if the perception is altered in an arithmetic progression (i.e. add constant amounts) the corresponding stimulus varies as a geometric progression (i.e. multiply by a fixed factor).
The point is that this logarithmic relationship is valid, not just for the sensation of weight, but for other stimuli as well.
The case of vision
The eye senses brightness logarithmically. Hence stellar magnitude is measured on a logarithmic scale. This magnitude scale was invented by the ancient Greek astronomer Hipparchus in about 150 B.C. He ranked the stars he could see in terms of their brightness, with 1 representing the brightest down to 6 representing the faintest, though now the scale has been extended beyond these limits. An increase in 5 magnitudes corresponds to a decrease in brightness by a factor 100.
The case of sound
Still another logarithmic scale is the decibel scale of sound intensity. And yet another is pitch. In the case of perception of pitch, humans hear pitch in a logarithmic or "geometric" ratio-based fashion. For instance, the "pitch distance" between 100 Hz and 150 Hz sounds the same as 1000 Hz and 1500 Hz. The frequency of corresponding notes of adjacent octaves differ by a factor of 2. For notes spaced equally apart to the human ear, the frequencies are related by a multiplicative factor. For instance, for a 12-tone scale in equal temperament, this factor is 12 th root of 2 (twelfth root of 2). So the frequency of the A# note is the frequency of the A times the 12th root of 2, for any octave.
Economics
In 1889, the Austrian economist Friedrich Wieser, in "Natural Value," coined the phrase marginal utility for a closely-related phenomenon -- the satiation of human appetite for identical increments of a good.
"Any one who has just taken a certain quantity of food of a certain kind will not immediately have the same strength of desire for another similar quantity," he wrote. "Within any single period of want every additional act of satisfaction will be estimated less highly than a preceding one obtained from a quantity of goods equal in kind and amount."
A non-Fechnerian interpretation of Weber's results
In 1890, the American psychologist William James described Fechner's writings on the subject of Weber's results as "patient whimsies" and said it would be a pity if Fechner should "compel all future students" of psychology "to plough through the difficulties, not only of his own works, but of the still drier ones written in his refutation."
James saw Weber's law as an accurate generalization as to the friction in the neural machinery.
"If our feelings [of weight, sight, sound, etc.] resulted from a condition of the nerve molecules which it grew ever more difficult for the stimulus to increase, our feelings would naturally grow at a slower rate than the stimulus itself. An ever larger part of the latter's work would go to overcoming the resistances, and an ever smaller part to the realization of the feeling-bringing state."
Unquote:
Does it make some sense. We will have to consult a Physicist, may be.
Thanks
Bala
From India, Madras
Dear friends,
Namaskar.
Balaji has brought us to a significant juncture of discussion-psychophysics in the understanding of human behaviour. Psychophysics is the most rigourous scientific branch of psychology.It cocerns every one. So I like that every one concerned may join the discussion. I shall be posting the article covering the following aspects of psychophysics:
1.sensation,
2.perception,
3.objective realty,
4.subjective realty,
5.Relation between 3 and 4.
6.psychophysics and Thurstonian method of attitude scale construction and
7.world view.
Before that let me illustrate how perception as reality helps the perceiver to live in illusion. Below are 3 posts from certain other thread of citehr. First is a comment of certain brother member of citehr on me. second is my reply and the third is his.
"nobody understands Dr. Jogeshwar mahanta......other than he himself....i faced a similar issue when i had just joined citehr....i just couldn't comphrend hiz posts....no offence dearDr. Jogeshwar mahanta... we all love you"
"we all love you... " Dear -----, If it is not a big list, will you please tell who are included in "we"? regards_________________Jogeshwar mahanta "
"by "we" i meant "citehr-members"
From the perception of the brother member the following prositions emerge:
1.Nobody understands Dr. Jogeshwar Mahanta,
2.All citehr members love Dr. Jogeshwar Mahanta.
Both the propositions are his perceptions. This is his subjective reality. But when he presents his subjective reality as objective reality by expressions "nobody" and "citehr members", he is in illusion.
Illusions are always liabilities. Duryodhon lifted his lower robe seeing water when there was no water and fell down in water where it looked as if no water in Indraprastha palace of pandavas. This caused laughter of Drupadi and consequences followed. So beware of illusions.
regards
From India, Delhi
Namaskar.
Balaji has brought us to a significant juncture of discussion-psychophysics in the understanding of human behaviour. Psychophysics is the most rigourous scientific branch of psychology.It cocerns every one. So I like that every one concerned may join the discussion. I shall be posting the article covering the following aspects of psychophysics:
1.sensation,
2.perception,
3.objective realty,
4.subjective realty,
5.Relation between 3 and 4.
6.psychophysics and Thurstonian method of attitude scale construction and
7.world view.
Before that let me illustrate how perception as reality helps the perceiver to live in illusion. Below are 3 posts from certain other thread of citehr. First is a comment of certain brother member of citehr on me. second is my reply and the third is his.
"nobody understands Dr. Jogeshwar mahanta......other than he himself....i faced a similar issue when i had just joined citehr....i just couldn't comphrend hiz posts....no offence dearDr. Jogeshwar mahanta... we all love you"
"we all love you... " Dear -----, If it is not a big list, will you please tell who are included in "we"? regards_________________Jogeshwar mahanta "
"by "we" i meant "citehr-members"
From the perception of the brother member the following prositions emerge:
1.Nobody understands Dr. Jogeshwar Mahanta,
2.All citehr members love Dr. Jogeshwar Mahanta.
Both the propositions are his perceptions. This is his subjective reality. But when he presents his subjective reality as objective reality by expressions "nobody" and "citehr members", he is in illusion.
Illusions are always liabilities. Duryodhon lifted his lower robe seeing water when there was no water and fell down in water where it looked as if no water in Indraprastha palace of pandavas. This caused laughter of Drupadi and consequences followed. So beware of illusions.
regards
From India, Delhi
Dear Dr Ji,
You have hit right on dot. Both propositions about You are the member's own perception and he believes "perception is reality?". He perceiving that others also party to his perception could be illusion. I say "could be" because I am also not sure about others' perceptions.
Illusions are liabilities. But more than liability, they are dangerous also like (as you pointed out), what happened to Duryodhan?
I look forwward to your posts on the subject 'psychophysics' eagerly.
Thanks
Bala
From India, Madras
You have hit right on dot. Both propositions about You are the member's own perception and he believes "perception is reality?". He perceiving that others also party to his perception could be illusion. I say "could be" because I am also not sure about others' perceptions.
Illusions are liabilities. But more than liability, they are dangerous also like (as you pointed out), what happened to Duryodhan?
I look forwward to your posts on the subject 'psychophysics' eagerly.
Thanks
Bala
From India, Madras
Dear Dr. J,
I have not read this topic in years, :o I am definately looking forward to your article on the subject. It will be a good opportunity for me to catch up. :D
Food for Thought: Can we really define the fine line between illusions and realty? When one ends and the other start?
To all in citeHR, Have a good and Happy Weekend.
Smile :)
From Malaysia, Johor Bahru
I have not read this topic in years, :o I am definately looking forward to your article on the subject. It will be a good opportunity for me to catch up. :D
Food for Thought: Can we really define the fine line between illusions and realty? When one ends and the other start?
To all in citeHR, Have a good and Happy Weekend.
Smile :)
From Malaysia, Johor Bahru
"Can we really define the fine line between illusions and realty?"Noelji
Namaskar Noelji.
Thanks for your nice reply.
The line between illusion and reality is a gulf and as wide as east to west.
Regards
From India, Delhi
Namaskar Noelji.
Thanks for your nice reply.
The line between illusion and reality is a gulf and as wide as east to west.
Regards
From India, Delhi
Dear CiteHR friends,
Going away from perception and reality, here is an interesting story:
Quote:
Once upon a time there were 2 brothers who lived on the 80th floor
of a tall building.
On coming home one day they realized, to their dismay, that the lifts
were not working and that they would have to climb up the stairs.
After struggling to the 20th level, panting and tired, they decided
to leave their bags and thought of taking them back the next day.
They left their bags there and climbed on...
By the time they had struggled to the 40th level, they had gone
sufficiently mad and were irritated.
The younger brother started to grumble and soon both of them began to
quarrel.
They somehow continued to climb the flights of steps, quarreling all
the way to the 60th floor.
They then realized that they had only 20 levels more to climb and
decided to stop quarreling and continue climbing in peace.
They silently climbed on and reached their apartment at long last!
Each stood calmly before the door and waited for the other to open
the door.
They then realized that their keys were in their bags, which were
left on the 20th floor!!!
Huh, huh, huh!!!!!!
This reflects our life and times. All of us climb the tall building
called 'career'... some till the 80th floor and some less. But do
we know that the key to happiness is in the bag, which has been left
back on the 20th floor?
Know your dreams and follow it so that you will not live with
regrets. If the chariot of your life is driven by the seeds of
ambition, make sure the reins of your life are held by the hands of
joy.
Unquote
Thanks
bala
From India, Madras
Going away from perception and reality, here is an interesting story:
Quote:
Once upon a time there were 2 brothers who lived on the 80th floor
of a tall building.
On coming home one day they realized, to their dismay, that the lifts
were not working and that they would have to climb up the stairs.
After struggling to the 20th level, panting and tired, they decided
to leave their bags and thought of taking them back the next day.
They left their bags there and climbed on...
By the time they had struggled to the 40th level, they had gone
sufficiently mad and were irritated.
The younger brother started to grumble and soon both of them began to
quarrel.
They somehow continued to climb the flights of steps, quarreling all
the way to the 60th floor.
They then realized that they had only 20 levels more to climb and
decided to stop quarreling and continue climbing in peace.
They silently climbed on and reached their apartment at long last!
Each stood calmly before the door and waited for the other to open
the door.
They then realized that their keys were in their bags, which were
left on the 20th floor!!!
Huh, huh, huh!!!!!!
This reflects our life and times. All of us climb the tall building
called 'career'... some till the 80th floor and some less. But do
we know that the key to happiness is in the bag, which has been left
back on the 20th floor?
Know your dreams and follow it so that you will not live with
regrets. If the chariot of your life is driven by the seeds of
ambition, make sure the reins of your life are held by the hands of
joy.
Unquote
Thanks
bala
From India, Madras
Namaskar everybody,
Is this Attitude or Faith.
Read Through
Quote
Years ago, I was enthralled as I listened to a pastor who for several years had faithfully served the church. His executive responsibilities had taken him all over this country. As he concluded his message, he told of one of the most frightening yet thought-provoking experiences of his life.
He had been on a long flight. The first warning of the approaching problems came when the sign on the airplane flashed on: Fasten your seat belts.’ Then, after a while, a calm voice said, ‘We shall not be serving the beverages at this time as we are expecting a little turbulence. Please be sure your seat belt is fastened.’
As he looked around the aircraft, it became obvious that many of the passengers were becoming apprehensive. Later, the voice of the announcer said, ’we are so sorry that we are unable to serve the meal at this time. The turbulence is still ahead of us.’ And then the storm broke. The ominous cracks of thunder could be heard even above the roar of the engines. Lightening lit up the darkening skies, and within moments that great plane was like a cork tossed around on a celestial ocean. One moment the airplane was lifted on terrific currents of air; the next, it dropped as if it were about to crash.
The pastor confessed that he shared the discomfort and fear of those around him. He said, ‘As I looked around the plane, I could see that nearly all the passengers were upset and alarmed. Some were praying. The future seemed ominous and many were wondering if they would make it through the storm.
And then, I suddenly saw a girl to whom the storm meant nothing. She had tucked her feet beneath her as she sat on her seat and was reading a book. Everything within her small world was calm and orderly. Sometimes she closed her eyes, then she would read again; then she would straighten her legs, but worry and fear were not in her world.
When the plane was being buffeted by the terrible storm, when it lurched this way and that, as it rose and fell with frightening severity, when all the adults were scared half to death, that marvelous child was completely composed and unafraid.’
The minister could hardly believe his eyes.
It was not surprising therefore, that when the plane finally reached its destination and all the passengers were hurrying to disembark, he lingered to speak to the girl whom he had watched for such a long time.
Having commented about the storm and behavior of the plane, he asked why she had not been afraid. The sweet child replied, ‘Sir, my Dad is the pilot, and he is taking me home.’
- Author Unknown
Thanks
Bala
From India, Madras
Is this Attitude or Faith.
Read Through
Quote
Years ago, I was enthralled as I listened to a pastor who for several years had faithfully served the church. His executive responsibilities had taken him all over this country. As he concluded his message, he told of one of the most frightening yet thought-provoking experiences of his life.
He had been on a long flight. The first warning of the approaching problems came when the sign on the airplane flashed on: Fasten your seat belts.’ Then, after a while, a calm voice said, ‘We shall not be serving the beverages at this time as we are expecting a little turbulence. Please be sure your seat belt is fastened.’
As he looked around the aircraft, it became obvious that many of the passengers were becoming apprehensive. Later, the voice of the announcer said, ’we are so sorry that we are unable to serve the meal at this time. The turbulence is still ahead of us.’ And then the storm broke. The ominous cracks of thunder could be heard even above the roar of the engines. Lightening lit up the darkening skies, and within moments that great plane was like a cork tossed around on a celestial ocean. One moment the airplane was lifted on terrific currents of air; the next, it dropped as if it were about to crash.
The pastor confessed that he shared the discomfort and fear of those around him. He said, ‘As I looked around the plane, I could see that nearly all the passengers were upset and alarmed. Some were praying. The future seemed ominous and many were wondering if they would make it through the storm.
And then, I suddenly saw a girl to whom the storm meant nothing. She had tucked her feet beneath her as she sat on her seat and was reading a book. Everything within her small world was calm and orderly. Sometimes she closed her eyes, then she would read again; then she would straighten her legs, but worry and fear were not in her world.
When the plane was being buffeted by the terrible storm, when it lurched this way and that, as it rose and fell with frightening severity, when all the adults were scared half to death, that marvelous child was completely composed and unafraid.’
The minister could hardly believe his eyes.
It was not surprising therefore, that when the plane finally reached its destination and all the passengers were hurrying to disembark, he lingered to speak to the girl whom he had watched for such a long time.
Having commented about the storm and behavior of the plane, he asked why she had not been afraid. The sweet child replied, ‘Sir, my Dad is the pilot, and he is taking me home.’
- Author Unknown
Thanks
Bala
From India, Madras
BEWARE OF ILLUSIONS
Experiment 1.
Have 22 pebbles two from each with denominations of 50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59 and 60 grams. All the pebbles must be of same shape, size and colour and visually must look alike. Each pebble must have flat base where its weight be printed. In the back of each there will be certain elevation with the help of which the pebbles can be lifted easily.
Now you prepare a chart of pairs randomly but ultimately the chart will show the difference of weight of the pairs as under:
0 gram difference 10 pairs,
1 gram difference 10 pairs,
2 grams difference10 pairs,
3grams difference 10 pairs,
4 grams difference 10 pairs,
5 grams difference 10 pairs,
6 grams difference 10 pairs,
7 grams difference 10 pairs,
8 grams difference 10 pairs,
9 grams difference 10 pairs and
10 grams difference 10 pairs.
Now find out the most judicious person around you and invite him/her to participate in the experiment. After establishing adequate rapport tell him/her:
The experiment is very simple. I shall give you 110 pairs of pebbles,1 pair at a time, to judge whether the both of the pair are of equal weight or which of the two in the pair is “heavier”.
Now take out your random pair chart, present the pairs in sequence and record the judgments of your subject as “right” or “wrong” without giving any feedback during the experiment. Now count the correct responses at each difference level, that is, 0 to 10. Gradually as the levels of differences will increase, the frequency of correct responses will increase and even at the level of 10 gram difference you may not get 100 percent correct responses.
Now you go to test subject 2, 3, 4 etc in the same way and plot the correct response graphs for each subject. Calculate the points in X axis for each subject on which there are 50% correct differential responses. These points are known as Differential limen(DL) or Differential thresholds.
Your findings will be
1.Each subject is bound to commit error, that is, there is no linear relationship between objective reality and subjective reality.
2. For each subject you will find separate DLs.There will be wide individual differences, that is, psychophysical make ups of all of us differ.
3. Ask your subjects to repeat the exercise 100 times each but they can never be 100 percent accurate.
Now what is sensation and what is perception? The sensory experience while lifting the pebbles and before arriving at the interpretation of sensory information as “equal” or “heavier” is called sensation. When the information is judged as “equal” or “heavier” the experience is called perception. The perception may be right or wrong. The wrong perceptions are called illusions.
For the present I am skipping over Thurstonian method of attitude scale construction.
A person has millions and billions of interactions with the reality and has millions and billions of perceptions. Some are right and some are wrong. The perceptions are precisely reserved in the mind as beliefs and attitudes. We evaluate the forthcoming information on the basis of our beliefs and attitudes and this way of evaluation and its basis is called world view. Every one of us have distinct world views. So we differ and will continue to differ. Even identical/monogygotic twins differ. So we can not, can never unify ourselves but can harmonize despite differences. So let us strive for what is feasible.
Psychophysics in every day life.
Once in a while we see someone and say “hello……..” but the person does not respond as expected because he/she is not the “same” person for which we say hello. We get a mild jerk and proceed.
But visualize a situation. A learned professor of an engineering college goes in evening walk with his wife. He meets his friend and starts talking. In such situations traditional Indian wives stand a little apart. So did this wife too. As the learned professor gets engrossed in talk, the wife gets bored and returns home silently. By the time the learned professor concludes his conversation, incidentally an unconcerned woman stands in the same place. The learned professor neither judges this woman as heavier, nor lighter, nor equal nor identical but as same. So he proceeds unto her, pats on her back and says “Let us go”.
The next you can very well guess what could have happened to the venerable professor.
Certainly this incident is not going to happen with you. But suppose
You judge a benevolent person as malevolent, a bahkau/bhadkau/bidkau (instigators) as well wishers, conmen as friends, an exploiter as saviour and vice versa and etc.etc. All of us if we check up our pasts then we will certainly find that we are subjected to may such illusions. So let us beware of illusions.
regards
From India, Delhi
Experiment 1.
Have 22 pebbles two from each with denominations of 50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59 and 60 grams. All the pebbles must be of same shape, size and colour and visually must look alike. Each pebble must have flat base where its weight be printed. In the back of each there will be certain elevation with the help of which the pebbles can be lifted easily.
Now you prepare a chart of pairs randomly but ultimately the chart will show the difference of weight of the pairs as under:
0 gram difference 10 pairs,
1 gram difference 10 pairs,
2 grams difference10 pairs,
3grams difference 10 pairs,
4 grams difference 10 pairs,
5 grams difference 10 pairs,
6 grams difference 10 pairs,
7 grams difference 10 pairs,
8 grams difference 10 pairs,
9 grams difference 10 pairs and
10 grams difference 10 pairs.
Now find out the most judicious person around you and invite him/her to participate in the experiment. After establishing adequate rapport tell him/her:
The experiment is very simple. I shall give you 110 pairs of pebbles,1 pair at a time, to judge whether the both of the pair are of equal weight or which of the two in the pair is “heavier”.
Now take out your random pair chart, present the pairs in sequence and record the judgments of your subject as “right” or “wrong” without giving any feedback during the experiment. Now count the correct responses at each difference level, that is, 0 to 10. Gradually as the levels of differences will increase, the frequency of correct responses will increase and even at the level of 10 gram difference you may not get 100 percent correct responses.
Now you go to test subject 2, 3, 4 etc in the same way and plot the correct response graphs for each subject. Calculate the points in X axis for each subject on which there are 50% correct differential responses. These points are known as Differential limen(DL) or Differential thresholds.
Your findings will be
1.Each subject is bound to commit error, that is, there is no linear relationship between objective reality and subjective reality.
2. For each subject you will find separate DLs.There will be wide individual differences, that is, psychophysical make ups of all of us differ.
3. Ask your subjects to repeat the exercise 100 times each but they can never be 100 percent accurate.
Now what is sensation and what is perception? The sensory experience while lifting the pebbles and before arriving at the interpretation of sensory information as “equal” or “heavier” is called sensation. When the information is judged as “equal” or “heavier” the experience is called perception. The perception may be right or wrong. The wrong perceptions are called illusions.
For the present I am skipping over Thurstonian method of attitude scale construction.
A person has millions and billions of interactions with the reality and has millions and billions of perceptions. Some are right and some are wrong. The perceptions are precisely reserved in the mind as beliefs and attitudes. We evaluate the forthcoming information on the basis of our beliefs and attitudes and this way of evaluation and its basis is called world view. Every one of us have distinct world views. So we differ and will continue to differ. Even identical/monogygotic twins differ. So we can not, can never unify ourselves but can harmonize despite differences. So let us strive for what is feasible.
Psychophysics in every day life.
Once in a while we see someone and say “hello……..” but the person does not respond as expected because he/she is not the “same” person for which we say hello. We get a mild jerk and proceed.
But visualize a situation. A learned professor of an engineering college goes in evening walk with his wife. He meets his friend and starts talking. In such situations traditional Indian wives stand a little apart. So did this wife too. As the learned professor gets engrossed in talk, the wife gets bored and returns home silently. By the time the learned professor concludes his conversation, incidentally an unconcerned woman stands in the same place. The learned professor neither judges this woman as heavier, nor lighter, nor equal nor identical but as same. So he proceeds unto her, pats on her back and says “Let us go”.
The next you can very well guess what could have happened to the venerable professor.
Certainly this incident is not going to happen with you. But suppose
You judge a benevolent person as malevolent, a bahkau/bhadkau/bidkau (instigators) as well wishers, conmen as friends, an exploiter as saviour and vice versa and etc.etc. All of us if we check up our pasts then we will certainly find that we are subjected to may such illusions. So let us beware of illusions.
regards
From India, Delhi
Dear Dr.J,
I have always believed in this words. In fact, thats what aikido is helping me achieve, the harmonising of the world and myself.
You are right, we all live in our own perception and re-act accordingly. Conflict arises when the perceptions come together and cannot harmonise. To make matter worse, some perceptions are re-enforced with our ego. Then perception clashes. Imagine perception as bubbles around us, when we harden the bubbles, we will clash when we come in contact with other bubbles. If we learn to soften our bubbles and allow other bubbles to come into our circumference then we can learn what the other bubbles look like and how other bubbles feel.
It is not easy to harmonise, and at most time extremely hard, but it is a good lesson to learn.
Regards
From Malaysia, Johor Bahru
I have always believed in this words. In fact, thats what aikido is helping me achieve, the harmonising of the world and myself.
You are right, we all live in our own perception and re-act accordingly. Conflict arises when the perceptions come together and cannot harmonise. To make matter worse, some perceptions are re-enforced with our ego. Then perception clashes. Imagine perception as bubbles around us, when we harden the bubbles, we will clash when we come in contact with other bubbles. If we learn to soften our bubbles and allow other bubbles to come into our circumference then we can learn what the other bubbles look like and how other bubbles feel.
It is not easy to harmonise, and at most time extremely hard, but it is a good lesson to learn.
Regards
From Malaysia, Johor Bahru
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Attitude.ppt
Attitude.doc