The Specification of a Non-Linear Psychophysical Function for Visual Landscape Dimensions

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Abstract
The existence of a comprehensive stimulus-response function describing people's landscape preferences is proposed. Psychometric theory indicating a standard logarithmic function is supported by three studies on human response to variation in specific dimensions of landscapes. In addition to specifying the shape of the function, the research supports the interpretation of the slope of the curve as a measure of people's sensitivity to changes in landscapes. Based on these findings it is concluded that research in landscape preference might move beyond empirical or data-fitting models to rational models which permit theoretical hypothesis-testing.