Considering these scenarios, explain why the concept below the scenario can be u
ID: 3484974 • Letter: C
Question
Considering these scenarios, explain why the concept below the scenario can be used to explain the sensory experience that person is having. Use the concept to explain why the phenomenon occured.
Jane has prepared three cups of coffee but can’t recall how much sugar is in each. The cup with the smallest amount of sugar is easy to identify, but Jane can’t taste any difference between the other two cups even though she knows one has more sugar.
Difference threshold:
Bill was initially delighted to land a job at the post office, but recently he has become worried. By the end of his shift, he almost always feels edgy, nervous and confused. This is difficult for Bill to understand because his work makes few demands. He just sits there all day, alone in a room, putting thousands of letter into the numerous bins.
Optimal levels of stimulation:
Explanation / Answer
1. The difference threshold is sometimes also known as 'just noticeable difference'. It is defined as the minimum difference or the least amount by which two stimulations differ so that a person can detect it (almost 50 percent of time). Here the difference between the other 2 cups might be less. The percentage of change that is normally needed to detect a Just Noticeable Difference is one fifth, or 20 percent. So, the percentage of change in both cups might be less than that of 20 percent owing to the inability of differentiation between them.
2. Principle of Optimal levels of stimulation is a theory that explains the tendency of individuals or organisms to learn responses that leads to a preferred level of stimulation. For every individual there is a preferred optimal degree of stimulation, which is innate in them. When this degree is less or more, then the individual will attempt to increase or decrease it, respectively. Here, the Optimal level of stimulation is really low, as the job requires doing very little. Since Bill did not work to increase the low levels, this might have caused a sensory deprivation for Bill making him unable to feel happiness which he once felt