title: A comparison of two methods for assessing critical flicker fusion frequency in hens.
abstract: This paper compared two general methods for assessing critical fusion frequency in hens (gallus gallus domesticus). The first method was a conditional discrimination procedure with the stimuli presented successively. The second was a two-alternative forced-choice procedure with the stimuli presented simultaneously. It was found that both methods of stimulus presentation gave comparable results suggesting that either method is useful when investigating psychophysics in animals. The results also show that hens' critical fusion frequency is considerably higher than that of humans which may account for hens' inability to recognise images presented on standard computer or television monitors.
authors.affiliation: The Psychology Department, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand. reneer@waikato.ac.nz
authors.forename: Renee Caron Richards
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Railton
authors.forename: T Mary
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Temple
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000502:physiology*; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000502:physiology*; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D005425:Flicker Fusion / Q000502:physiology*; D008029:Lighting / Q000379:methods; D011601:Psychophysics / Q000379:methods; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology