According to Steven's Power Law, what does the variable 'N' represent?

In the context of Steven's Power Law, the variable 'N' signifies the shape of the curve that relates physical intensity to psychological intensity. Steven's Power Law describes how the perceived magnitude of a stimulus (psychological intensity) changes as a function of its physical intensity. The equation is typically represented as P = k * I^N, where P is the perceived intensity, I is the physical intensity, k is a constant, and N determines the curvature of the function.

When 'N' takes on different values, it indicates how rapidly the perceived intensity grows in relation to the physical intensity. For instance, if N is greater than 1, it suggests that perceived intensity increases more than proportionately with physical intensity, while if N is less than 1, perceived intensity increases less than proportionately. Therefore, 'N' provides crucial insight into the relationship and interaction between our physical sensory experiences and the psychological perception of those experiences, making it the key variable that reflects the shape of the curve in this relationship.