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RESEARCH PRODUCT

On minima of discrimination functions

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Abstract A discrimination function ψ ( x , y ) assigns a measure of discriminability to stimulus pairs x , y (e.g., the probability with which they are judged to be different in a same-different judgment scheme). If for every x there is a single y least discriminable from x , then this y is called the point of subjective equality (PSE) for x , and the dependence h ( x ) of the PSE for x on x is called a PSE function. The PSE function g ( y ) is defined in a symmetrically opposite way. If the graphs of the two PSE functions coincide (i.e.,  g ≡ h − 1 ), the function is said to satisfy the Regular Minimality law. The minimum level functions are restrictions of ψ to the graphs of the PSE functions. The conjunction of two characteristics of ψ , (1) whether it complies with Regular Minimality, and (2) whether the minimum level functions are constant, has consequences for possible models of perceptual discrimination. By a series of simple theorems and counterexamples, we establish set-theoretic, topological, and analytic properties of ψ which allow one to relate to each other these two characteristics of ψ .