Psychology at a Glance

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Psychology at a Glance:  Laws and Constants

The field of psychology, like most other sciences, is rife with theoretical
constructs that have been elevated to the status of "law."  Here are some
of the more interesting/influential/important ones. Collect them all, trade
with your friends!

If I've neglected any, please feel free to let me know.


GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY

Weber's Law
The JND between two stimuli is proportional to the intensity of the initial
stimulus.

Wundt's Amendment to Weber's Law
Psychologists' names starting with W should be pronounced as if they began
with a V.


TIME PERCEPTION

Jonides's Axiom
The number of committees one is assigned to increases as a function of the
inverse of free time available.

Geva's Paradox
The efficiency of work decreases as its importance increases.


HUMAN PERFORMANCE

Fitts' Law
Motor movement time is related to the precision of the movement and the
distance to be covered.

Seymour's Lemma
Motor movement time is inversely related to the intensity of the stimulus
in response to alarm clock activation.

The Mueller-Horn Equation
The likelihood of permanent tendon damage is directly related to the number
of hours spent playing NHL 99.






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