¥ Signal = Measurable response to stimulus
¥ Noise = Components of measurement that interfere with detection of
signal
¥ Statistical
detection theory:
H Understand relationship between
stimulus & signal
H Characterize noise statistically
H Can then devise methods to distinguish
noise-only measurements from
signal+noise measurements, and assess the methodsÕ
reliability
H Methods and usefulness depend strongly
on the assumptions
o Some
methods are ÒrobustÓ against erroneous assumptions, and some are
not