SAGE Journal Articles

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Spencer K. Lynn and Lisa Feldman Barrett 
“Utilizing” Signal Detection Theory 
Psychological Science September 2014 25: 1663-1673, first published on August 5, 2014 doi:10.1177/0956797614541991

  • What are some examples of sensitivity and response bias?
  • What are the tenets of the utility approach to understanding perception?
  • Why is optimal criterion location important?
  • Why is optimal measurement more important than accuracy?
  • What kinds of behaviors would be best measured using SDT?

James C. Craig and Kenneth O. Johnson 
The Two-Point Threshold: Not a Measure of Tactile Spatial Resolution 
Current Directions in Psychological Science February 2000 9: 29-32, doi:10.1111/1467-8721.00054

  • Is the two-point threshold a valid measurement of spatial resolution? Why or why not?
  • What is the difference between objective and subjective measures, in terms of determining the two-point threshold? Is one better than the other?
  • Why are gap detection and grating orientation better measures of spatial resolution than the two-point threshold?

Linda M. Bartoshuk, Katharine Fast, and Derek J. Snyder 
Differences in Our Sensory Worlds: Invalid Comparisons With Labeled Scales 
Current Directions in Psychological Science June 2005 14: 122-125, doi:10.1111/j.0963-7214.2005.00346.x

  • What are the pitfalls of relative measurement? Are there any advantages to relative measurement?
  • What are some examples of how using standards for group comparisons can help the objective measurement of perceptions? Can group comparisons help in measuring the perceptions of all senses?
  • How does the gLMS help us understand individual differences in sensation and perception?
  • How do invalid comparisons affect our understanding of perception? How can we mitigate the effects of invalid comparisons?