Ask AI: Explain Weber’s Law. What is meant by the “near miss” to Weber’s law when referring to intensity JNDs of pure tones?

Weber's Law refers to the principle that the change in a stimulus that will be just noticeable (i.e., a just-noticeable difference or JND) is a constant ratio of the original stimulus. In simpler terms, it states that the ratio of the increment threshold to the background intensity is a constant. So, for example, if you increase the weight a person is holding by a certain percentage, they will notice that it has increased. If you then increase it by the same percentage again, they will still notice. This percentage is the Weber fraction. In terms of auditory perception, Weber's Law suggests that the louder the background noise, the greater the intensity of a tone needs to increase for a person to notice the difference. However, with regards to intensity JNDs of pure tones, the situation does not always adhere strictly to Weber's Law, hence the term "near miss." 'Near miss' to Weber's law refers to the cases when the actual increases in intensity required to trigger a JND is slightly less than what is predicted by Weber's Law. For example, research in pure tone audiology indicates that the smallest noticeable difference in the loudness of a tone is slightly smaller than the percentage predicted by Weber's law, especially at higher frequencies and intensities. Notably, this does not refute Weber's Law, but merely adds nuance to it. The term is used in literature to acknowledge that while Weber's Law is a useful general rule, there are specific instances where it doesn't quite hold up perfectly.