Law of Specific Sense Energies

In 1826 the physiologist Johannes Peter Müller formulated the law of specific sensory energies , in which he described that it is not the external stimulus that determines the quality of perception, but only the peculiarity of the stimulated sensory organ . This is the qualitatively specific sensory modality of the stimulated sensors.

As was common in the 19th century, this work is also based to a large extent on philosophy . The term “ sensory energy” , which Müller used to describe the specific anatomical and physiological properties of the described sense, also comes from this approach .

Müller experimentally demonstrated how various stimuli affect the optic nerve, for example. Hermann von Helmholtz , who himself was a student of Müller, also built on this work later .

See also

• Sensory modality
• Sensory integration
• perception
• physiology
• Psychophysics

Web links

• Overview at the University of Würzburg (PDF file)