Abstract
A new method was used to investigate auditory discrimination in pigeons. Basically, the method involves the repeated presentation of one stimulus preceding the single presentation of a different stimulus that is followed by shock. Stimulus control is assessed by the increase in heart rate that accompanies the presentation of the second stimulus. In Experiment 1, the efficiency of the method was explored by determining the frequency difference thresholds of pigeons at 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz. Weber fractions comparable to those reported in an earlier study using the conditioned suppression method were obtained. Experiment 2 demonstrated that, contrary to results of earlier studies, auditory temporal patterns can exercise differential stimulus control in pigeons. One stimulus consisted of the presentation (once per second) of a 1000-Hz pure tone of 150 msec duration followed by a 2000-Hz pure tone of equal duration; the other was the same except for the reversed order of the frequency components. Results indicated that the frequency pattern and not the loudness pattern of the stimuli was the cue controlling heart-rate changes.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- CAMPBELL B. A. The fractional reduction in noxious stimulation required to produce "just noticeable" learning. J Comp Physiol Psychol. 1955 Jun;48(3):141–148. doi: 10.1037/h0046764. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- CAMPBELL B. A. The reinforcement difference limen (RDL) function for shock reduction. J Exp Psychol. 1956 Oct;52(4):258–262. doi: 10.1037/h0048706. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Cohen D. H., Durkovic R. G. Cardiac and respiratory conditioning, differenatiation, and extinction in the pigeon. J Exp Anal Behav. 1966 Nov;9(6):681–688. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1966.9-681. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Cohen D. H., Macdonald R. L. Some variables affecting orienting and conditioned heart-rate responses in the pigeon. J Comp Physiol Psychol. 1971 Jan;74(1):123–133. doi: 10.1037/h0030326. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- HEISE G. A. Auditory thresholds in the pigeon. Am J Psychol. 1953 Jan;66(1):1–19. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Nottebohm F., Nottebohm M. E. Vocalizations and breeding behaviour of surgically deafened ring doves (Streptopelia risoria). Anim Behav. 1971 May;19(2):313–327. doi: 10.1016/s0003-3472(71)80012-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]