In this article we apply signal detection theory to qualitatively unify the intensity justnoticable difference (JND) and masking data of Wegel and Lane (1924), Fletcher and Munson (1933 – 1938), Miller (1947), and Egan and Hake (1950). We do this by treating the loudness as the first moment, and the intensity JND as the second moment, of the random variable we call the single-trial loudness. Fr...