Transfer of serial stimulus relations by European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris): Loudness.

Abstract

Four experiments investigated the ability of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) to perceive stimulus relations in serial sound patterns. Loudness was the relevant stimulus dimension. In Experiment 1, subjects learned to discriminate between patterns of sine tones that increased and decreased monotonically in loudness. The discrimination tansferred successfully to novel loudness levels outside the baseline training range. Starlings also maintained the discrimination when the loudness intervals between successive pattern elements were doubled in Experiment 2 and when frequency was shifted in Experiment 4