Abstract
Bloch’s law failed to hold for latencies of response in a threshold experiment where frequencies ofresponse did, nevertheless, obey the law. Dark-adapted Ss were instructed to respond as soon as they detected flashes of various luminances and durations. The frequency of response increased with increases in stimulus energy (luminance times duration); it was constant when energy was constant. The latency of response, measured from stimulus onset. varied inversely with energy; it also varied inversely with the luminance of flashes that were constant in energy. The results were consistent with data from earlier threshold and simple reaction time experiments.
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These experiments were performed in partial fulfillment of requirements for the doctoral degree: Or. E. G. Heinemann advised and aided the author; Or. W. S. Battersby and Or. W. H. Ittelson, members of the dissertation committee, also provided helpful criticisms and suggestions; Dr. M. L Kietzman and Or. G. Sperling, invited discussants, offered constructive comments. This paper was prepared at Lincoln Laboratory: Or. D. B. Yntema and Dr. W. P. Harris gave extensive editorial advice; Or. M. A. Morfield, Mr. O. G. Selfridge, and Or. R. A. Wiesen provided critical reader responses to early drafts.
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Grossberg, M. The latency of response in relation to Bloch’s law at threshold’. Perception & Psychophysics 4, 229–232 (1968). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03206307
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03206307