Fiveable
Fiveable

Intensity

Definition

In psychology, intensity refers to the strength or force of a stimulus. It's often used in relation to sensory perception, such as the loudness of a sound or the brightness of a light.

Analogy

Think about intensity like the volume knob on your stereo. The higher you turn it up, the louder (or more intense) the music becomes.

Related terms

Threshold: This is the minimum level of stimulation required for an organism to detect a stimulus 50% of the time.

Decibel: A unit used to measure sound intensity.

Just Noticeable Difference (JND): The smallest difference in stimulation that can be detected 50% of the time; also known as difference threshold.

collegeable - rocket pep

Are you a college student?

  • Study guides for the entire semester

  • 200k practice questions

  • Glossary of 50k key terms - memorize important vocab



© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.


© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.