When Ann went to her doctor, he gave her a hearing test. During the test, the doctor presented tones to Ann through earphones. The tones started at a low intensity and then became louder. The doctor asked Ann to raise her hand whenever she started to hear a sound. The doctor was testing Ann's __________

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The doctor is testing Ann's absolute threshold, which is the minimum intensity of a stimulus that can be detected by a person. The test involves gradually increasing the intensity of the stimulus until the person can detect it, which is what the doctor did with Ann. Auditory convergence refers to the process by which multiple neurons in the auditory system respond to a sound, and is not relevant to this situation. Refractory threshold refers to the period of time during which a neuron cannot fire again after it has fired, which is also not applicable here. Difference threshold refers to the minimum difference between two stimuli that can be detected, which is not being tested in this situation.

When Ann Went to Her Doctor, He Gave Her a Hearing