The role of regression and range effects in determination of the power function for electric shock

A scale for the apparent intensity of electric shock applied to the forearm was derived from cross-modality matching functions relating noise level, number, and force of handgrip to both line length and shock. For each response mode, the effects of psychophysical regression were estimated from the line judgments and used to make adjustments in the corresponding shock judgments. For shocks ranging from (1.0 to 5.5 mA, combined estimates of subjective magnitude were found to grow as the 2.26 power of the stimulating current.