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Glite Dictionary
Weber-Fechner law

Weber-Fechner law

9.9
A rule saying people notice changes in light or sound by how much they change compared to before
  • noun
  • /ˈwɛbər ˈfɛknər lɔ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ley de Weber-Fechner
  • The Weber-Fechner law helps explain why a dim light must be increased significantly before it seems noticeably brighter.

Examples

  • The Weber-Fechner law explains why a dim light must be increased significantly before it seems noticeably brighter.

  • Researchers applied the Weber-Fechner law to analyze how people perceive changes in sound volume.

  • Many introductory psychology textbooks discuss the Weber-Fechner law when introducing the study of sensation and perception.

  • The Weber-Fechner law explains how we perceive changes in stimuli.

  • According to the Weber-Fechner law, our senses react logarithmically.

  • Many introductory psychology textbooks discuss the Weber-Fechner law when introducing the study of sensation and perception.

  • Researchers applied the Weber-Fechner law to analyze how people perceive changes in sound volume.

Synonyms

Fechner's law
vsWeber-Fechner law
  • Specialized
9.9

A rule that sensations like brightness or loudness grow slowly as the things that cause them get stronger

is the identical principle but named after two researchers instead of one

Surface Forms

Weber-Fechner law singular

Morphology

Weber-Fechner + law

This is an eponymic technical term formed from researchers' names plus the word 'law', so knowing 'law' and the names does not convey the specific psychophysical/logarithmic meaning. The phrase is domain-specific and lexicalized; a B1 learner who knows the constituents would not be able to infer the precise principle without prior exposure or subject knowledge.

Etymology

Weber-Fechner law is named after two scientists who tested how we 'notice' change. They found, for example, that adding a small weight to a light object feels big but the same small weight on a heavy object hardly feels different, so the law explains why a change must be large compared with what you already have before you 'notice' it.