Question

Evelyn turned the thermostat up from 68 degrees to 70 degrees; however, she doesn't think it feels any warmer and she wants to turn it up even higher. Her roommate thinks that it is now too hot, and she wants to turn the thermostat back down.

Apparently Evelyn has

A. a smaller just noticeable difference for temperature than her roommate does
B. a lower absolute threshold for temperature than her roommate does
C. a larger just noticeable difference for temperature than her roommate does
D. a higher absolute threshold for temperature, compared to her roommate does

Answer 1

Evelyn displays a larger just noticeable difference for temperature compared to her roommate, as she requires a greater increase to perceive a change in warmth, corresponding to option C.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question deals with the concept of sensory perception, specifically relating to the just noticeable difference (jnd) and absolute threshold of temperature detection between two individuals. Given that Evelyn wants to turn the thermostat up even higher because she doesn't feel warmer, whereas her roommate feels it's too hot and wants to turn it down, the relative sensory thresholds of the two individuals are being compared. According to Weber's law, the just noticeable difference is a constant fraction of the original stimulus. Therefore, Evelyn has a larger just noticeable difference for temperature than her roommate, because she requires a greater increase in temperature to perceive the change, which is indicated as option C.

Answer 2

The correct answer is A.

Step-by-step explanation:

The thermostat was turned up from 68 to 70. This means there was an absolute rise in room temperature. Evelyn didn't notice any change, however, while her roommate was able to feel a change in room temperature as small as two degrees. This means that while her roommate can detect a just noticeable difference for temperature, Evelyn has a smaller just noticeable difference for temperature than her roommate.