Pitch Discrimination, Mels, and Kock's Contentio

Abstract

Recent data on pitch discrimination are shown to agree reasonably well with the values that would be predicted on the assumption that just-noticeable differences for pitch are subjectively equal when measured in mels. The facts relating to diplacusis and the estimation of musical intervals suggest that the difference limen may be expected to vary irregularly with frequency. An argument is made that Kock''s theoretical explanation of pitch discrimination is invalid.