In psychophysics, sensory threshold is the weakest stimulus that an organism can sense. Unless otherwise indicated, it is usually defined as the weakest stimulus that can be detected half the time, for example, as indicated by a point on a probability curve. Methods have been developed to measure thresholds in any of the senses. Several different sensory thresholds have been defined;

History

The first systematic studies to determine sensory thresholds were conducted by Ernst Heinrich Weber, a physiologist and pioneer of experimental psychology at the Leipzig University. His experiments were intended to determine the absolute and difference, or differential, thresholds. Weber was able to define absolute and difference threshold statistically, which led to the establishment of Weber's Law and the concept of just noticeable difference to describe threshold perception of stimuli. Following Weber's work, Gustav Fechner, a pioneer of psychophysics, studied the relationship between the physical intensity of a stimulus and the psychologically perceived intensity of the stimulus. Comparing the measured intensity of sound waves with the perceived loudness, Fechner concluded that the intensity of a stimulus changes in proportion to the logarithm of the stimulus intensity. His findings would lead to the creation of the decibel scale.

Measuring and testing sensory thresholds

Defining and measuring sensory thresholds requires setting the sensitivity limit such that the perception observations lead to the absolute threshold. The level of sensitivity is usually assumed to be constant in determining the threshold limit. There are three common methods used to determine sensory thresholds: In measuring sensory threshold, noise must be accounted for. Signal noise is defined as the presence of extra, unwanted energy in the observational system which obscures the information of interest. As the measurements come closer to the absolute threshold, the variability of the noise increases, causing the threshold to be obscured. Different types of internal and external noise include excess stimuli, nervous system over- or under-stimulation, and conditions that falsely stimulate nerves in the absence of external stimuli. A universal absolute threshold is difficult to define a standard because of the variability of the measurements. While sensation occurs at the physical nerves, there can be reasons why it is not consistent. Age or nerve damage can affect sensation. Similarly, psychological factors can affect perception of physical sensation. Mental state, memory, mental illness, fatigue, and other factors can alter perception.

Aviation use

When related to motion in any of the possible six degrees of freedom (6-DoF), the fact that sensory thresholds exist is why it is essential that aircraft have blind-flying instruments. Sustained flight in cloud is not possible by `seat-of-the-pants' cues alone, since errors build up due to aircraft movements below the pilot's sensory threshold, ultimately leading to loss of control.