The JND is the smallest intensity change the ear can discriminate

Evidence

In these cases, the researchers measure the just noticeable difference (JND) in intensity. Recall that the JND is the smallest difference that is discriminable by the ear, and is also referred to as the difference limen. These experiments fall in a long line of psychoacoustic studies that evaluate the capabilities of the ear. In these experiments, the primary question is, “What is the smallest intensity change that the ear can detect?” — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 795

Categorization

Category: Definitional Content

• DEFINE: Foundational definition of JND and difference limen, basic vocabulary for the reader’s understanding of discrimination.

Related

• Intensity discrimination measures the smallest detectable change in loudness (similarity 0.94)
• Amplitude discrimination depends on relative loudness increment, not absolute change (similarity 0.84)
• Psychoacoustics measures detection, discrimination, magnitude, and recognition of sounds (similarity 0.84)
• A psychophysical detection threshold does not ensure subjective meaningfulness of the change (similarity 0.84)
• The just-noticeable difference for speech in noise was nearly unstudied until recently (similarity 0.83)
• Intensity discrimination JND is expressed as the intensity-based Weber fraction. (similarity 0.82)
• The decibel unit is calibrated to the smallest perceivable loudness change (similarity 0.82)
• A just-noticeable difference in signal-to-noise ratio does not guarantee subjective value (similarity 0.81)
• Level discrimination thresholds grow steeply near hearing threshold (similarity 0.80)
• Humans can typically discriminate level differences of 1 to 2 dB (similarity 0.80)
• Noise intensity discrimination improves by pooling multiple frequency regions (similarity 0.80)
• Weber fractions in audition are computed from intensity, not decibels (similarity 0.79)
• The decibel multiplier calibrates integer changes to the ear’s just-noticeable differences (similarity 0.79)
• The just-noticeable difference quantifies the smallest audible change in a sound (similarity 0.79)
• SNR just-noticeable difference grows from about 3 to 3.7 dB at positive reference SNRs (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• The just-noticeable difference quantifies the smallest audible change in a sound #corroborates (0.98) — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 865