psychophysics

American  

[sahy-koh-fiz-iks] / ˌsaɪ koʊˈfɪz ɪks /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

1. the branch of psychology that deals with the relationships between physical stimuli and resulting sensations and mental states.

---

psychophysics British  

/ ˌsaɪkəʊˈfɪzɪks /

noun

1. (functioning as singular) the branch of psychology concerned with the relationship between physical stimuli and the effects they produce in the mind

---

Other Word Forms

• psychophysic adjective
• psychophysical adjective
• psychophysically adverb
• psychophysicist noun

Etymology

Origin of psychophysics

From the German word Psychophysik, dating back to 1875–80. See psycho-, physics

Example Sentences

The researchers used online tools to test and verify these predictions by running psychophysics experiments with human participants.

From Science Daily • Apr. 24, 2024

He knew from his study of psychophysics that she was working against a fundamental biological obstacle.

From The New Yorker • Nov. 19, 2018

From my student research into motor psychophysics, I knew that this random, uncoordinated motion could be easily ignored; to the players, it’s white noise.

From Slate • Feb. 17, 2015

The founders of psychophysics were the first to treat psychology as an experimental and quantifiable science.

From Scientific American • Jun. 28, 2013

The quantitative method of modern psychophysics may lead to an exact experimental determination of such false conceptions and misunderstandings as those indicated above, but it is still too young to have any practical value.

From Criminal Psychology; a manual for judges, practitioners, and students by Gross, Hans Gustav Adolf