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A text-book of experimental psychology.On the specific energy of sensations.

A text-book of experimental psychology.: On the specific energy of sensations. Adequate and Inadequate Stimuli.—The "adequate" stimulus to any sense organ is the special kind of stimulus to which the sense organ is adapted to respond. Light, for instance, is the adequate stimulus in the case of the retina, sound in the case of the cochlea. Other kinds of stimuli to which a sense organ may respond, are spoken of as "inadequate" stimuli. There is good reason to believe that every sense organ, whether it be excited by an adequate or inadequate stimulus, gives rise only to its own specific sensation. Most observers agree that a cold spot on the skin may be excited by cold, by pressure, by warmth, or by a faradic current; but in each case a sensation only of cold is evoked (experiment 3). So, too, an electric stimulus produces a sensation of pain, heat, cold, or pressure, according as it is applied to a pain, a heat, a cold, or a pressure spot; a blow on the eye produces visual, a blow on the ear auditory, sensations. Effective and Ineffective Stimuli.—On the other hand, sense organs do not respond to every form of inadequate stimulus. The ear, for example, is not stimulated by waves of light, nor the eye by waves of sound. Stimuli may thus be classed as effective and ineffective. Electrical and mechanical (e.g., blows or pressure) are the most generally effective of all stimuli. The effectiveness of electrical stimuli is often partly due to the adventitious production of adequate stimuli. Thus the auditory sensations, arising from the application of a current to the ear, are in part the result of sounds occasioned by the contracting muscles of the middle ear. And the gustatory sensations, electrically evoked from the tongue, are in part due to the tasting substances which are produced by the electrolytic decomposition of salivary and mucous secretion. But altogether aside from such secondary effects, electrical stimuli seem to be universally and directly effective as inadequate stimuli. Specific Nervous Energy.—Johannes Müller supposed that every sensory nerve or every sensory nerve centre possesses its own "specific nervous energy" which gives rise, in the case of the eye, for example, to visual, in the case of the ear to auditory sensations. Müller's theory was that any stimulus, so long as it is effective, invariably evokes the same specific energy in a given sensory apparatus. He allowed, however, that any sensory apparatus may respond in a variety of ways to different forms of adequate stimuli. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png

A text-book of experimental psychology.On the specific energy of sensations.

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Publisher
Longmans, Green and Co
Copyright
Copyright © 1909 American Psychological Association
Pages
117–122
DOI
10.1037/13628-009
Publisher site
See Chapter on Publisher Site

Abstract

Adequate and Inadequate Stimuli.—The "adequate" stimulus to any sense organ is the special kind of stimulus to which the sense organ is adapted to respond. Light, for instance, is the adequate stimulus in the case of the retina, sound in the case of the cochlea. Other kinds of stimuli to which a sense organ may respond, are spoken of as "inadequate" stimuli. There is good reason to believe that every sense organ, whether it be excited by an adequate or inadequate stimulus, gives rise only to its own specific sensation. Most observers agree that a cold spot on the skin may be excited by cold, by pressure, by warmth, or by a faradic current; but in each case a sensation only of cold is evoked (experiment 3). So, too, an electric stimulus produces a sensation of pain, heat, cold, or pressure, according as it is applied to a pain, a heat, a cold, or a pressure spot; a blow on the eye produces visual, a blow on the ear auditory, sensations. Effective and Ineffective Stimuli.—On the other hand, sense organs do not respond to every form of inadequate stimulus. The ear, for example, is not stimulated by waves of light, nor the eye by waves of sound. Stimuli may thus be classed as effective and ineffective. Electrical and mechanical (e.g., blows or pressure) are the most generally effective of all stimuli. The effectiveness of electrical stimuli is often partly due to the adventitious production of adequate stimuli. Thus the auditory sensations, arising from the application of a current to the ear, are in part the result of sounds occasioned by the contracting muscles of the middle ear. And the gustatory sensations, electrically evoked from the tongue, are in part due to the tasting substances which are produced by the electrolytic decomposition of salivary and mucous secretion. But altogether aside from such secondary effects, electrical stimuli seem to be universally and directly effective as inadequate stimuli. Specific Nervous Energy.—Johannes Müller supposed that every sensory nerve or every sensory nerve centre possesses its own "specific nervous energy" which gives rise, in the case of the eye, for example, to visual, in the case of the ear to auditory sensations. Müller's theory was that any stimulus, so long as it is effective, invariably evokes the same specific energy in a given sensory apparatus. He allowed, however, that any sensory apparatus may respond in a variety of ways to different forms of adequate stimuli. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Published: Feb 13, 2012

Keywords: sensory apparatus; sensory responses; auditory sensation; sense; sensory apparatus; electrical stimuli; adequate & inadequate stimuli; effective & ineffective stimulus; specific nervous energy

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