Abstract
Most psychology experiments start with a stimulus, and, for an increasing number of studies, the stimulus is presented on a computer monitor. Usually, that monitor is a CRT, although other technologies are becoming available. The monitor is a sampling device; the sampling occurs in four dimensions: spatial, temporal, luminance, and chromatic. This paper reviews some of the important issues in each of these sampling dimensions and gives some recommendations for how to use the monitor effectively to present the stimulus. In general, the position is taken that to understand what the stimulus actually is requires a clear specification of the physical properties of the stimulus, since the actual experience of the stimulus is determined both by the physical variables and by the psychophysical variables of how the stimulus is handled by our sensory systems.
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I would like to acknowledge Peggy Ann Johnston for introducing me to the fascinating topic of sensation and perception, Keith White for introducing me to the rigor of the methods in this field, and, finally, Lou Silverstein for showing how wonderful the applications of this field can be.
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Krantz, J.H. Tell me, what did you see? The stimulus on computers. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers 32, 221–229 (2000). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03207787
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03207787