Which response does magnitude estimation require from subjects?

Magnitude estimation requires subjects to provide a numerical estimate of stimulus intensity. This method involves participants assigning a number to a specific stimulus intensity based on their perception, which allows researchers to establish a ratio of perceived intensities across different stimuli. For instance, if a light is perceived as twice as bright as another, the participant might assign it a value of 20 compared to the other light's value of 10. This approach is essential in psychophysical research as it quantifies sensory experiences and facilitates the analysis of how we perceive different levels of stimuli in a systematic way.

This numerical estimation is crucial for understanding the relationship between stimulus intensity and perception, which is foundational in the study of sensory processing and can lead to insights about the underlying psychological and neurological mechanisms involved.