A homily on signal detection theory

A lifetime ago, as an undergraduate, I joined a team that developed a new way of thinking about the sensitivity of sensory systems. My teammates were Wilson (Spike) Tanner and John Swets, both now deceased, and we were working at the University of Michigan. I also wish to thank J.C.R. Licklider, J. P. Egan, and Lloyd Jeffress who aided and encouraged that development. I am gratified that what came to be called signal-detection theory (SDT) was so widely accepted and its methods so widely adopted. However, I am somewhat disappointed about how SDT commonly is portrayed, and taught. My reasons are presented here. © 2020 Acoustical Society of America.