In masking period patterns, the SPL of a just‐audible triggered sequence of short high‐frequency test‐tone pulses varies as a function of their temporal spacing throughout the period of a low‐frequency masker. These patterns seem to be a psychocoustic equivalent of neurophysiologically measured period histograms. The duration of the test pulses resembles the bin‐width of the histograms. Optimal conditions for the measurement of masking period patterns were ascertained. The influence of the test signal parameters (duration, repetition rate, and frequency) was determined. Masking‐period patterns elicited by 50‐, 100‐ and 200‐Hz pure‐tone maskers of different levels are described and compared with corresponding neurophysiological data. The masking‐period patterns show similar periodic maxima and minima as physiological histograms, revealing the time structure of the stimulus. At high masker levels, the patterns seem to reflect nonlinear distortions. For masker frequencies higher than 100 Hz, the difference between maximum and minimum of the patterns decreases and drops to zero at about 500 Hz. This masker frequency corresponds to the psychoacoustically measured critical duration of about 2 msec, up to which the ear is able of resolving temporal fine structure. The correlation of masking‐period patterns with physiological data is discussed.Subject Classification: [43]65.58, [43]65.35, [43]65.75.