Human Experimental Psychology

Human experimental psychology studies basic processes — sensation, perception, attention, learning, and memory — through controlled laboratory experiments.

Scope

It covers psychophysics, perception and attention, learning, and human memory, emphasizing rigorous experimental method.

Sub-topics

• Sensory Perception
• Visual Perception
• Auditory & Speech Perception
• Motor Processes
• Cognitive Processes
• Learning & Memory
• Attention
• Motivation & Emotion
• Consciousness States
• Psychic Phenomenon & Paranormal Activities

Core questions

• How do humans sense and perceive the world?
• How are learning and memory structured?
• How can mental processes be measured experimentally?
• What are the limits of human information processing?

Key concepts

• Psychophysics
• Sensation and perception
• Attention
• Learning
• Memory and forgetting
• Reaction time

Key theories

Psychophysics

Fechner founded the quantitative study of the relation between physical stimuli and sensation; Stevens advanced the psychophysical (power) law.

Experimental study of memory

Ebbinghaus pioneered the experimental measurement of learning and forgetting.

History

Experimental psychology began with psychophysics (Fechner) and Ebbinghaus's memory studies, matured through the behaviourist and verbal-learning eras, and merged into cognitive psychology.

Debates

Fechner's versus Stevens's law

Whether sensation grows logarithmically (Fechner) or as a power function (Stevens) of stimulus intensity.

Key figures

• Gustav Fechner
• Hermann Ebbinghaus
• S. S. Stevens

Seminal works

• fechner-1860
• ebbinghaus-1885
• stevens-1957

Frequently asked questions

What is psychophysics?

The quantitative study of the relationship between physical stimuli and the sensations and perceptions they produce.