Assignment 1

Experimental Psychology

Group Members
Muhmmad Adil (F2021381110)
Laiba Hassan Khan (F2021381052)
Khadijah Batool Abid (F2021381138)
Malaika Ashraf (F2021381182)
Fiza Shahzad (F2021381152)
Ali Usman (F2021381086)
Faiqa Doultana (F2021381041)
Natasha Arshad (F2021381011)

Section: A

Resource Person
Shahrukh Rasheed

Department of Clinical Psychology

School of Professional Psychology
University of Management and Technology
Lahore
2025
 Lab Report

Absolute Threshold

The absolute threshold is defined as the minimum level of stimulus intensity needed for a person
to detect a stimulus 50% of the time. It represents the point at which a stimulus goes from undetectable to
detectable to the senses (Goldstein & Brockmole, 2016).

Hypothesis

H1: Two-point threshold would be 50% response of the time

Apparatus

1. Esthesiometer
2. Paper
3. Pencil/ Rubber

Procedure

The participant’s basic demographic information, such as their age and gender will be obtained.
The lab and equipment will be prepared and the experimenter will provide a clear explanation of the
experiment. The participant should be seated face-to-face with the experimenter. The participant will keep
their eyes closed and either of their hand will be used for the experiment. The participant’s hand or elbow
should not be touching any surface and the arm must be in air. The esthesiometer will be used on the tip
of the finger or the back of the hand. The participant will only be able to answer in 2 things i.e. one-point
or two-point. The two-point threshold will be determined when the participant says that they feel one
point or two-point. The procedure will be repeated a number of times using the different units of measure
and all the readings will be noted down.

Results

Table 1

Participants Response

Unit of Trials One- Two- % of

Measure point point 2-
(mm) point
 Stimulus 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 f f %
5 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 8 2 20
10 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 9 90
15 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 10 100
20 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 10 100
25 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 10 100
Note. f=frequency

Interpretation

Absolute Threshold = Db (50-a) + Da (b-50)

b-a

• Db = Stimulus value above 50% response = 10

• Da = Stimulus value below 50% response = 5

• b = % response (value) with respect to Db = 90

• a = % response (value) with respect to Da = 20

Absolute Threshold = Db (50 - a) + Da (b - 50)

b-a
= 10 (50 – 20) + 5 (90 – 50)
90 – 20
= 300 + 200
70
= 7.142

Hence, after the calculation done according to the above readings, the value of 7.142 will be
considered as the absolute threshold value or the minimum value at which the person is able to detect a
stimulus.
 Differential Threshold
Introduction
The least change in stimulus intensity sensed by human senses is known as the differential
threshold or, occasionally, the just noticeable difference (JND). Knowing how sensitive our sensory
systems are to changes in stimuli depends on this basic concept in psychophysics. The differential
threshold is the point at which a person starts to sense that an additional amount feels heavier, for
example while holding a weight. Many real-world spheres, including product testing, marketing, and
sensory studies, make use of this idea.
Hypothesis
H1: Differential threshold would be 50% response of upper and lower threshold of the stimuli.
Apparatus
 Standard weights (e.g., 10g, 20g, 30g, 40g, 50g, etc.)
 Blindfold or eye mask
 Chair and table
 Notepad and pencil
 Stopwatch (optional)
Procedure
To begin the experiment, the demographic data of the participant will be gathered including
name, age, and gender. To guarantee total focus, the testing room should be tranquil and devoid from
distractions. Comfortably seated on a chair in front of a table, the participant's both hands will be lightly
resting on the surface. The experimenter will first explain the aims and procedures of the experiment for
the subject. To erase any visual signals, a blindfold or eye mask will be put over the subject's eyes. The
study will center just on the sense of touch. The participant will be told that various weights will be put in
each hand; they will then have to indicate whether they believe the two weights vary.
A regular weight (e.g., 40 grams) will first be left in one hand for around 3–5 seconds. In the
other hand will then be a comparison weight (e.g., 30, 50 grams etc.). The participant will be asked a
fixed question like, “Does the second weight feel lighter, heavier, or the same as the first?”. The
experimenter will employ multiple comparison weights somewhat different from the baseline. The
weights' order of presentation will be chosen randomly to prevent the participant from guessing or
recognizing patterns. To make sure the participant's reaction is consistent and not random, every weight
pair will be examined across several trials (at least 2–3 times).
Weights will be progressively raised in short increments (e.g., 10 g) until the participant starts to
notice a difference. The differential threshold (JND) will be noted as the smallest difference at which the
participant consistently detects the change in at least 50% of the trials.
To prevent losing sight of anything, all answers will be recorded right after every experiment. To ensure
uniformity, every participant will be given the same hand sequence. Once all trials are finished, the data
will be used to determine and analyze the least detectable variation.
Table 2
Frequency and Percentage Responses in Differential Threshold Experiment
Unit of measure= Trails Heavier Lighter Equal
grams (Above (Below
Standard) Standard)
Stimulus=Weight 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 f % f % f %
70 H H H H H H H H H H 10 100 0 0 0 0
60 H H H E H H H H H H 9 90 0 0 1 10
50 H H H H E H E H E E 6 60 0 0 4 40
40st E E E L E H E E E E 1 10 1 10 8 80
30 E E L E L L E L L H 1 10 5 50 4 40
20 L L L L L L L L L L 0 0 10 100 0 0
10 L L L L L L L L L L 0 0 10 100 0 0
Note: f = Frequency, %=Percentages, H=Heavier from standard, L=Lighter from standard, E=Equal to
standard, 40st=Standard weight
Calculations
Upper Limit (UL)= Db (50-a) + Da (b-50)
b-a
Db = Stimulus value above Standard stimulus= 50
Da = Stimulus value below Standard stimulus= 30
b = % response (value) with respect to Db (Above Standard) = 60
a = % response (value) with respect to Da (Below Standard) = 10
Upper Limit (UL)= 50 (50-10) + 30 (60-50)
60-10
Upper Limit (UL) = 46
Lower Limit (LL) = Da (50 - b) + Db (a - 50) / (a - b)
• Db = Stimulus value above Standard stimulus = 50
• Da = Stimulus value below Standard stimulus = 30
• b = % response (value) with respect to Db (Above Standard) = 0
• a = % response (value) with respect to Da (Below Standard) = 50
Lower Limit (LL) = 30 (50 - 0) + 50 (50 - 50) / 50 - 0
Lower Limit (LL) = 30
Differential Threshold (2–point Threshold) = (UL – LL) / 2 = (46 – 30) / 2 = 8 grams
Point of Subjective Equality (PSE) = (UL+LL)/2 = (46+30)/2 = 38 grams
Interval of Uncertainty (IU) = UL-LL = 46-30 = 16 grams
Constant Error (CE) = PSE-Standard Stimulus = 38-40 = -2
Interpretation
In this experiment, the participant judged different weights as heavier, lighter, or equal to a
standard 40g weight across 10 trials each. At 70g and 60g, the participant mostly responded "heavier"; at
50g, responses were mixed; and at 30g or lower, responses shifted toward "lighter."
Using the 50% response points, the Upper Limit (UL) was found to be 46g and the Lower Limit (LL)
30g. This gives a Differential Threshold (DT) of 8g, meaning the participant needs at least an 8g
difference from 40g to notice a change. The Point of Subjective Equality (PSE) was 38g, showing a
slight underestimation of the standard weight. The Interval of Uncertainty (IU) is 16 grams, which reflects
the range between UL and LL where the participant’s responses were inconsistent. The Constant Error
(CE) is -2, again confirming a slight underestimation.
The results support the hypothesis ‘Differential threshold would be 50% response of upper and
lower threshold of the stimuli.’ The Differential Threshold was calculated based on the 50% response
point between the upper and lower stimulus values. The point at which the participant switched from
judging a stimulus as equal to judging it as clearly heavier or lighter was determined by using 50%
response rates, which is the standard way of identifying the differential threshold in psychophysics.
 Muller-Lyer Illusion

The Müller-Lyer illusion is a well-known optical illusion in which two lines of same length
appear to be of different lengths. This illusion demonstrates how visual perception can be influenced by
contextual cues (Gregory, 2009).

Hypothesis

H1: Descending order errors would be higher as compared to ascending order errors

H2: Inverted arrow lines seem longer as compared to arrow head line (i.e. CE)

Apparatus

1) Muller Lyer Cards (Standard length)

2) Checklist for responses

3) Pencil and rubber/Pointer

4) Ruler (cm or mm)

Procedure

The participant basic demographic information, such as their age and gender will be obtained.
The participants should not have any visual impairments that could interfere with their ability to
accurately perceive the stimuli used in the experiment. The equipment’s should be prepared. The
experimenter should provide a clear explanation of the experiment. The participant should be seated face-
to-face with the experimenter. The experimenter should first demonstrate a practice trial by explaining
how the participant is expected to respond. This demonstration should clearly explain how to give the two
types of responses which are ascending responses in which the line is increased until the participant
perceives both lines as equal in length, and descending responses in which the line is decreased until the
participant perceives both lines as equal in length. The subject is asked to use both left and right hand to
give the responses. 10 ascending readings from both left and right hand and 10 descending readings from
both left and right. During the trials, the participant will observe the lines and say “stop” at the moment
when they perceive the two lines to be equal. The experimenter will record the point at which the
participant stops from the ruler at the back of the cards. All readings should be written and analysis
should be done.

Results

Table 2
Participants Responses for Muller Lyer Cards

Trial No. Left Hand Readings Right Hand Readings

Ascending Descending Ascending Descending
(cm) (cm) (cm) (cm)
1 43 46 47 44
2 36 49 49 43
3 42 45 46 45
4 41 42 45 46
5 39 43 42 45
6 44 39 43 43
7 38 42 46 42
8 34 41 47 41
9 43 38 48 39
10 42 44 49 47
Mean Values 402 429 462 435

Interpretation

As hypothesized above, the descending order errors were mostly higher as compared to the
ascending order errors and the ninverted arrow line seemed longer than the arrow headed line.
 Lab Experiment: Zeigarnik Effect

Introduction

The Zeigarnik Effect is a psychological phenomenon discovered by Bluma Zeigarnik,

which states that people remember unfinished or interrupted tasks more clearly than finished
ones. The outcome demonstrates how the mind retains unresolved cognitive tension, which leads
to improved recall of incomplete activities (Zeigarnik, 1927). The current experiment intends to
investigate this effect using CVC nonsensical syllables.

Hypothesis

H₀ (Null Hypothesis): There will be no significant difference in the number of words

recalled between interrupted (incomplete) and uninterrupted (complete) nonsense words.

H₁ (Alternative Hypothesis): interrupted (incomplete) words will be remembered more

than uninterrupted (complete) words.
Apparatus required

 List of 18 CVC nonsense syllables (e.g., BAK, TIV, NUG, etc.)

 Timer or stopwatch
 Paper and pencil (for recall test)
 Interruption (e.g. any sound or image to interrupt)
 Quiet experimental environment

Procedure

Phase 1 Exposure with Interruption

 Participants viewed 16 CVC words one-by-one.

 For 9 randomly selected words, participants were interrupted with any sound or image.
 They were instructed to write only the first letter of these words (task left incomplete).
 For the other 9 words (no Interruption), participants wrote the entire word (task
completed).

Phase 2 Visual Presentation

  All 18 words were shown again on a screen, one at a time for 2 seconds each.
 No interpretation or writing was allowed only visual exposure.

Phase 3 Free Recall

 Participants were given blank sheets and asked to recall and write down as many of the
18 words as they could, in any order.

Results

Table 1

Participant response of Zeigarnik Effect

Word Type Number of Words Recalled Words

Interrupted Words 9 5
Uninterrupted Words 9 4

Interpretation

The results supported the hypothesis. The participant recalled more interrupted words (5)
compared to uninterrupted words (4). This aligns with the Zeigarnik Effect, which suggests that
unfinished or cognitively pending tasks remain more active in memory, thus enhancing recall.
 Blind Spot Experiment

Introduction:

The human eye contains a natural blind spot at the point where the optic nerve connects to the retina.
This area lacks photoreceptors, meaning it cannot detect light. Normally, we do not notice this gap
because the brain compensates by blending in visual information from the surrounding area and the
other eye. This experiment is designed to demonstrate where each eye's blind spot is located.

Hypothesis:

If one eye is closed and the other is focused on a fixed point while an object moves across the field of
vision, there will be a moment when the object vanishes. This indicates the location of the blind spot in
the open eye.

Materials Needed:

1. White paper
2. Marker
3. Ruler
4. Pencil
5. A well-lit room
6. (Optional) Pre-made blind spot test sheet

Method:

1. On the left side of the paper, draw a small black cross (✚), then draw a filled black circle (●) about 10–
15 cm to the right, in a straight horizontal line.

2. Sit comfortably at a table in a well-lit area and hold the paper at eye level, 30–40 cm away from your
face.

3. Close your right eye and focus your left eye on the cross.
4. While keeping your left eye on the cross, slowly move the paper forward or backward.

5. At a specific distance, the black circle will disappear—this marks the blind spot of your left eye.

6. Repeat the process for the right eye by closing the left eye and focusing on the circle.

7. Note the distance from your face where the circle disappears and reappears.

Experimental Result :

The experiment successfully confirmed the presence of a blind spot in each eye. At a specific distance—
typically around 30 to 40 cm from the face—participants observed the disappearance of the black circle
from their peripheral vision while one eye was focused on the cross. This phenomenon occurred
consistently when the image of the black circle fell on the optic disc area of the retina, where
photoreceptors are absent. The exact distance at which the object disappeared varied slightly among
individuals, depending on the positioning of the eye and the visual angle, but the blind spot was reliably
detected in both eyes. These findings align with established scientific understanding of the human visual
system.
References:

Eysenck, M. W., & Keane, M. T. (2015). Cognitive Psychology: A Student's Handbook (7th ed.).
Psychology Press.

Zeigarnik, B. (1927). On Finished and Unfinished Tasks. Psychologische Forschung, 9(1), 1–85.

Goldstein, E. B., & Brockmole, J. R. (2016). Sensation and perception (10th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Gregory, R. L. (2009). Seeing through illusions. Oxford University Press.