A research participant listens to a 1,000 hertz tone. The frequency of the tone is slowly increased, and the participant is instructed to acknowledge when she hears a change in the tone of the pitch. At 1,050 hertz, the participant notes that the pitch of the tone is not the same as it was before. In this case, what does the change of 50 hertz represent?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The change of 50 hertz represents the difference threshold, which is the smallest difference in stimuli that can be detected by an individual. In this case, the participant was able to detect a difference of 50 hertz in the frequency of the tone, indicating that this is the minimum threshold for detecting a change in pitch.

A Research Participant Listens to a 1,000 Hertz Tone