Some preliminary postulates on stimulus-perception,and consequent probability distributions for behavior

A stimulus (or stimulus-complex) is pictured as giving rise to a random series of sensory nerve pulses, which manifest themselves in contractions of individual muscle fibers. Assuming the expected time-frequency of these pulses to be proportional to the intensity of the stimulus, probability distributions are computed representing the cumulative effect of these pulses on the state of the organism, that is, on its degree ofawareness of the stimulus. Preliminary results suggest a modification of the Weber-Fechner formula for intensity discrimination for certain types of stimuli: the psychological scale to be measured byI ⁱ instead of logI.Contributions from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, New Series, No. 54.