Psychonomics is a field of cognitive science and psychology characterized by the use of mathematical modeling to discover the laws that govern the workings of the mind. It is directly related to experimental psychology and closely related to psychophysics, and the term is used most prominently by the Psychonomic Society, a society of experimental psychologists.
Facts
Central QuestionWhat are the laws that govern the workings of the mind, and can mathematical modeling discover them? 1 Key DebateWhether the mathematical laws of sensation that psychonomics and psychophysics seek are best expressed as Fechner's logarithmic function or Stevens's power law, and whether the power law is an independent finding or can be derived from the logarithmic one. 2 Sources
1. Psychonomics, Wikipedia
Lead sectionQuote, Lead section
Psychonomics is a field of cognitive science and psychology characterized by the use of mathematical modeling to discovering the laws (Greek: 'nomos') that govern the workings of the mind (Greek: 'psyche').
2. Wikipedia: Stevens's power law
Criticisms sectionQuote, Criticisms section
the power law can be deduced mathematically from the Weber-Fechner logarithmic function (Mackay, 1963), and the relation makes predictions consistent with data
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