As threshold increases, what happens to sensitivity?

When the threshold increases, sensitivity decreases. This concept is rooted in the principles of psychophysics, which explore the relationship between stimuli and perception.

Sensitivity refers to the ability to detect a stimulus, such as light or sound. When you have a high threshold, it means that a stronger stimulus is required for detection. Therefore, as the threshold rises, fewer stimuli will be detected, indicating a reduction in sensitivity. This inverse relationship is critical to understanding how perception operates under varying levels of stimulus intensity.

In practical terms, if a person needs a higher intensity of light to see something clearly (higher threshold), they are less sensitive to lower levels of light, thus demonstrating decreased sensitivity. This helps in various fields of vision science and can be observed in cases like contrast sensitivity, where increased thresholds can lead to difficulty in detecting objects or differences in visual stimuli.