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ON EISLER'S GENERAL PSYCHOPHYSICAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION AND HIS FECHNERIAN INTEGRATION
Author(s) -
Mashhour Madjid
Publication year - 1964
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.743
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1467-9450
pISSN - 0036-5564
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9450.1964.tb01428.x
Subject(s) - simple (philosophy) , differential (mechanical device) , mathematics , calculus (dental) , psychology , differential equation , taylor series , mathematical analysis , epistemology , physics , medicine , philosophy , dentistry , thermodynamics
The general psychophysical differential equation (GPDE) for calculating ‘intrasubjective’ relations, is reviewed and it is argued that: ( a ) the use of calculus and Weber functions are unnecessary for the determination of such relations: simple algebraic methods are available, ( b ) Taylor's expansion in the derivation of GPDE is not necessary: a short cut method is suggested and applied instead, ( c ) GPDE is untenable as an empirical model, for it is based on one definition and one assumption which are both arbitrary and purely mathematical, ( d ) The sources of error in the validation procedures used by Eisler are pointed out; ( e ) by means of a validity test and the due treatment of a dozen sets of experimental data, the Fechnerian integration as well as GPDE are invalidated.