Auditory intensity discrimination in the chinchilla.
A positive reinforcement conditioning procedure was used to train chinchillas to respond to intensity differences between successively occurring tone bursts. Intensity difference limens were measured at 0.5, 1, 4, and 8 kHz at five intensities ranging from 10- to 55-dB sensation level. The intensity difference limen decreased from approximately 8 dB near threshold to approximately 3.5 dB at the highest level. The intensity difference limens for the chinchilla were considerably larger than those for humans as well as several other mammals; however, the results were similar to those obtained for the parakeet. The present results from intensity discrimination appeared to be related to previous data for the discrimination of amplitude modulated noise.
Callier Center for Communication Disorders, University of Texas at Dallas 75235.
S S
SS
Saunders
B G
BG
Shivapuja
R J
RJ
Salvi
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000818:Animals; D001307:Auditory Perception; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D002682:Chinchilla / Q000502:physiology*; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology