A just-noticeable difference in signal-to-noise ratio does not guarantee subjective value

Evidence

This is a curiously under-studied area: previously there has been only one small study related to measuring the just-noticeable difference (JND) in SNR by Killion ( 2004 ), in which unspecified participants were at chance discriminating a 2 dB SNR difference for speech in noise. A JND, though, is just a psychophysical benchmark; it is not clear a priori that a change of one JND is necessary or sufficient for the change to have any subjective importance to an individual. — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 5669

Categorization

• QUESTION: The claim that psychophysical JND does not map onto clinical meaningfulness is worth chasing — it separates detection thresholds from subjectively important benefit.
• XREF: connects to: Status is judged by gestalt sensibility, not isolated signals — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 248