Silent Control Research Articles

Mating interference of glassy‐winged sharpshooters, Homalodisca vitripennis

AbstractAnimal communication is a complex behavior that is influenced by abiotic and biotic factors of the environment. Glassy‐winged sharpshooters (GWSS), Homalodisca vitripennis (Germar) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), primarily use vibrational signaling for courtship communication. Because GWSS is a major pest, transmitting the plant pathogenic bacterium Xylella fastidiosa Wells et al., interruption of communication is a possible avenue for control. Playback of white noise, pre‐recorded female signals, and artificial female noise (continuously overlapping female signals) significantly reduced mating of GWSS when compared to silent control mating trials. Furthermore, to begin to determine the mechanism underlying playback control, female signaling activity was recorded in the presence of stimuli. In response to playback of female signals, females signaled (duet‐like) more often than females tested in the absence of playback. After the first playback, almost two‐thirds of females signaled a response within 3 s. Additionally, one‐third of the females signaled within 1 s after cessation of white noise, and significantly more in the time periods following noise termination. Results highlight how GWSS responds to differing competitive disturbances in the environment and lays important ground work that possibly could be used to develop pesticide‐free control methods.

Quantity and quality of available mates alters female responsiveness but not investment in the Pacific field cricket, Teleogryllus oceanicus

An individuals’ experience with conspecific signaling during development can lead to variation in their mating signals and behavior later in life. It is unclear whether experience with sexual signals also alters receivers’ fitness through changes in investment in offspring. Male field crickets attract mates using a long-distance calling song. To determine how developmental experience with calling song quality and quantity alters mating responsiveness and fitness, we raised juvenile female Teleogryllus oceanicus in five acoustic environments. These environments mimicked two mate quantities (high and low) crossed with two mate qualities (high and low), and a silent control. At adulthood, we measured females’ responsiveness in phonotaxis trials. Following phonotaxis, females were offered opportunities to mate and lay eggs. We measured egg number and proportion hatching as components of fitness and reproductive investment. Corroborating previous research in this system, female crickets raised in silence approached a broadcast calling song nearly 45% faster than their counterparts reared hearing a high-quantity/high-quality combination of calling song. Additionally, females adjusted other aspects of phonotaxis behavior in response to the quantity, but not quality of song. We found no evidence that females adjusted mating rates or investment in offspring. Regardless of acoustic experience, females laid equivalent numbers of eggs that had equivalent hatching success. Our results show that female mating behavior responds to juvenile experience mimicking a lack of mating opportunities, but is less responsive to variation in mate quality. Furthermore, reproductive investment may be less plastic than mating behavior. Social experience can inform organisms about current environmental conditions and lead to changes in behavior. Existing work suggests that field crickets in the genus Teleogryllus change their mating behavior in response to acoustic environments that mimic varied mate availabilities and qualities. However, we do not know if females alter their investment in offspring under similar circumstances. Variable investment could speed evolutionary change when combined with behavioral plasticity. We found that although female mating behavior is sensitive to variation in acoustic experience, reproductive investment is not. The number of eggs laid and the percent hatching did not depend on acoustic experience. We discuss evolutionary explanations for these patterns, including the possibility that investment is less plastic than mating behavior.

Gallery and acoustic traits related to female body size mediate male mate choice in a bark beetle

Male preference for mating with large females and its benefits on fitness have been shown in several animal taxa. However, the mechanisms underlying this preference are less well known. Dendroctonus valens, a primarily monogamous bark beetle whose females initiate tunnels beneath the bark of host trees, provides a useful system for testing how male mate choice is based on size. Field observations and laboratory experiments demonstrated that D. valens males preferentially entered tunnels containing large females, and that large females were more fecund than small females. Behavioural assays showed that males could discern tunnel size, and preferred larger artificially constructed tunnels in a two-choice assay. Males were also able to walk more quickly through larger diameter tunnels. Volatiles and chirping sounds associated with females were also analysed. Female body size was positively associated with the intensity of the female's chirp, but not with the quantity of pheromones released. Playback of this chirp showed males preferred female-produced sound to a silent control, and that males could discriminate between soft and loud sounds. Male D. valens appear to have evolved strategies of mate selection by relying on dual cues, tunnel size and acoustic signals, to obtain a large partner to increase fitness.

‘The effect of different genres of music on the stress levels of kennelled dogs’

Classical music has been shown to reduce stress in kennelled dogs; however, rapid habituation of dogs to this form of auditory enrichment has also been demonstrated. The current study investigated the physiological and behavioural response of kennelled dogs (n=38) to medium-term (5days) auditory enrichment with five different genres of music including Soft Rock, Motown, Pop, Reggae and Classical, to determine whether increasing the variety of auditory stimulation reduces the level of habituation to auditory enrichment. Dogs were found to spend significantly more time lying and significantly less time standing when music was played, regardless of genre. There was no observable effect of music on barking, however, dogs were significantly (z=2.2, P<0.05) more likely to bark following cessation of auditory enrichment. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) was significantly higher, indicative of decreased stress, when dogs were played Soft Rock and Reggae, with a lesser effect observed when Motown, Pop and Classical genres were played. Relative to the silent period prior to auditory enrichment, urinary cortisol:creatanine (UCCR) values were significantly higher during Soft Rock (t=2.781, P<0.01) and the second silent control period following auditory enrichment (t=2.46, P<0.05). Despite the mixed response to different genres, the physiological and behavioural changes observed remained constant over the 5d of enrichment suggesting that the effect of habituation may be reduced by increasing the variety of auditory enrichment provided.

Do Begging Calls From Nestling Red-Winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) Increase Nest Predation?

ABSTRACT I used 20 years of nest records and predation at silent control and begging-call playback nests to determine whether begging calls of Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) attract predators. Survival analysis provided no evidence that vocal begging affected nest predation. Survival schedules during egg and nestling periods were not significantly different, and vocal begging activity was not significantly correlated with daily nest survival. I found that predation at 35 no-longer-active nests at which begging calls were played at natural volume, at a typical rate, and following a normal schedule was slightly but not significantly higher than at 35 silent control nests. Selection may have favored adaptations of nestling Red-winged Blackbirds' begging calls that reduce the risk of predation.

Restoring dueting behavior in a mated pair of buffy cheeked gibbons after exposure to construction noise at a zoo through playbacks of their own sounds

There is concern about anthropogenic noise effecting zoo animals. Gibbons are known for duets exhibited by a mated pair. During a 6-month period in 2009, Niabi Zoo conducted construction (sewer/water lines, and paving) within 100 m of the buffy cheeked gibbon exhibit. Prior to construction, a male/female pair (plus their 4-year old son) performed loud, elaborate duets each day. Friel collected behavior data using focal animal and instantaneous scan-sampling for 10 days; 5 times per day prior to construction and for 20 days during construction. SEL measurements were taken during both periods. In general, the immature gibbon vocalized little; the female vocalized most. Gibbons vocalized less during construction noise. After construction, the subadult male became ill and was euthanized; thereafter the pair ceased vocalizing. Two years later, Yegge played back sounds to encourage dueting: 1) their own duet, 2) the duet of wild gibbons, 3) rock music, and 4) a silent control. Their behavior was collected for 3, 15-min playback sessions per day for 30 days. The pair’s own playback elicited a duet even during the first session. The female vocalized significantly more than the male, especially during the wild gibbon duet. Currently, the pair continues dueting on their own.

The impact of sound presentations on executive control: Evidence from eye movements

To examine the influence on performance of sound presentation considered more or less disturbing, distracting, and intrusive, an antisaccade task was used to assess executive control over reflexive eye movements. By examining the latency and proportion of correct eye movements in eight sound presentations for 32 participants (15 female), the effect of disturbance from sound was measured. The only effect found for latency was a significant increase during the Mozart violin concerto, suggesting an unconscious speed–accuracy tradeoff. Participants inhibited reflexive eye movements in favour of correct responses, which were marginally better than the silent control condition. The mean number of correctly launched saccades was significantly lower during three sound presentations which were all social in nature, namely playing children, crying baby, and babble noise. These were also classified as highly disturbing by participants. This suggests that certain sounds can have a large effect on executive control. Finally, the sound presentation with children playing affected females significantly more negatively than males, as seen in lower mean numbers of correctly launched saccades.

Analgesic effects of self-chosen music type on cold pressor-induced pain: Motivating vs. relaxing music

The attenuation of perceived pain through exposure to music is known as music analgesia. The present study used a mixed-methods design, investigating whether self-chosen music moderated participants’ psychological and physiological responses to pain during cold pressor (CP) tasks. Thirty participants took part (14 males, 16 females; Mage = 27.77 years). Three levels of musical stimulation were employed—relaxing music, motivating music and a silent control condition. Dependent variables included: CP tolerance time, Profile of Mood score, visual analogue pain rating—intensity and unpleasantness (VAS-I &amp; VAS-U), blood pressure and pulse rate. Qualitative semi-structured interviews further investigated perceived differences between musical stimulation types. Results demonstrated a significant effect of musical exposure on VAS-U scores [ F (2, 56) = 3.60, p = .034]. Pairwise comparisons revealed that VAS-U scores were significantly lower after exposure to relaxing music than after silence. Qualitative analyses of interview transcripts revealed dominant themes of distraction, absorption and context-dependent memory induction, with the most-preferred condition being motivational music. Results of the current study suggest that active listening to music reduces pain unpleasantness ratings, and that individual preference is an important determinant of the overall emotional and distraction properties of musical stimuli.

The role of long-term familiarity and attentional maintenance in short-term memory for timbre

ABSTRACTWe study short-term recognition of timbre using familiar recorded tones from acoustic instruments and unfamiliar transformed tones that do not readily evoke sound-source categories. Participants indicated whether the timbre of a probe sound matched with one of three previously presented sounds (item recognition). In Exp. 1, musicians better recognised familiar acoustic compared to unfamiliar synthetic sounds, and this advantage was particularly large in the medial serial position. There was a strong correlation between correct rejection rate and the mean perceptual dissimilarity of the probe to the tones from the sequence. Exp. 2 compared musicians' and non-musicians' performance with concurrent articulatory suppression, visual interference, and with a silent control condition. Both suppression tasks disrupted performance by a similar margin, regardless of musical training of participants or type of sounds. Our results suggest that familiarity with sound source categories and attention play important roles in short-term memory for timbre, which rules out accounts solely based on sensory persistence.

The influence of auditory and visual stimuli on the pleasantness of chocolate gelati

Unrelated auditory cues may alter gustatory and hedonic perceptions to food, but it is unclear whether similar effects will be observed with congruent eating-environment sounds. This is the first experimental work to demonstrate how different eating-environment sounds, varying in quality, may influence pleasantness of food samples. In this study, trained participants (n=90) were separated into two balanced groups. The first group provided temporal pleasantness measurements during consumption of three different chocolate gelati while listening to various eating-environment sounds, and a silent control condition. This procedure was followed using a second group though with the provision of pictures related to the eating-environment sounds. Both psychoacoustical and psychological measures of sound quality were associated with gelati pleasantness. Combined audiovisual cues further amplified pleasantness ratings compared to auditory cues only. The results are further explained in terms of the effects of mood and arousal on sensory perception. Findings from this study may assist in elucidating the real life implications of the effect of sounds on food pleasantness.

Instantaneous song modification in response to fluctuating traffic noise in the tree cricket Oecanthus pellucens

Noise pollution is a world-wide phenomenon and its effects on animal behaviour have been investigated by numerous studies focusing mostly on vertebrate taxa. However, studying how insects are impacted by human-made noise is indispensable, because of their ecological importance and in order to gain a more comprehensive knowledge of how animals can cope with this new challenge. The few studies that have examined the effects of noise pollution on the acoustic signalling of insects have characterized noise over long timescales. In this study we examined whether males of the tree cricket Oecanthus pellucens modify their calling song in response to the fluctuation in traffic noise over a short timescale. To examine this question we carried out (1) noise level measurements over a short time window (200 ms) paired with song parameter measurements on sound recordings of males singing in their noise-polluted habitats and (2) laboratory playback experiments in which each singing male was recorded during a silent control period and during noise playback. Our results show that males shortened their calls (echemes) and paused singing with a higher probability with increasing noise level. However, males did not modify the fundamental frequency of their song and did not adjust the duration of the interecheme interval in response to noise. These results suggest that crickets decrease signalling effort during high levels of noise and, at least for the song parameters we examined, do not modify their signals, as do birds and frogs, to reduce masking by anthropogenic noise.

Avoidance of Pile-Driving Noise by Hudson River Sturgeon During Construction of the New NY Bridge at Tappan Zee.

Sturgeon movements were monitored during a pile-driving operation. Fewer sturgeon were detected during pile driving and remained for a shorter time than during silent control periods. Moreover, the short time spent by sturgeon near pile driving suggests that they were unlikely to have reached the criterion of 187 dB re 1 μPa(2)·s cumulative sound exposure level. These results suggest that sturgeon are likely to avoid impact pile driving and not remain long enough to experience physiological effects, thus providing empirical evidence that the 206 dB re 1 μPa peak sound pressure level is the appropriate criterion for assessing the impacts of pile-driving noise on sturgeon.

Reconceptualizing Reactivity of Think‐Alouds and Eye Tracking: Absence of Evidence Is Not Evidence of Absence

AbstractThis study extends previous reactivity research on the cognitive effects of think‐alouds to include eye‐tracking methodology. Unlike previous studies, we supplemented traditional superiority tests with equivalence tests, because only the latter are conceptually appropriate for demonstrating nonreactivity. Advanced learners of English read short English texts embedded with pseudowords in an eye‐tracking (n = 28), think‐aloud (n = 28), or silent control condition (n = 46). Results indicated that neither eye tracking nor thinking aloud affected text comprehension. In terms of vocabulary recognition, thinking aloud had a small, positive effect, and the results for eye tracking were mixed. We discuss challenges and opportunities of equivalence testing and explore ways to improve study quality more generally in second language acquisition research.Open PracticesThis article has been awarded Open Data and Open Materials badges. All data are publicly accessible via the Open Science Framework at https://osf.io/9zpaj. All materials are publicly available in the IRIS digital repository at http://www.iris-database.org. Learn more about the Open Practices badges from the Center for Open Science: https://osf.io/tvyxz/wiki.

Therapist facilitative interpersonal skills and training status: A randomized clinical trial on alliance and outcome

Objectives: Therapist effects, independent of the treatment provided, have emerged as a contributor to psychotherapy outcomes. However, past research largely has not identified which therapist factors might be contributing to these effects, though research on psychotherapy implicates relational characteristics. The present Randomized Clinical Trial tested the efficacy of therapists who were selected by their facilitative interpersonal skills (FIS) and training status. Method: Sixty-five clients were selected from 2713 undergraduates using a screening and clinical interview procedure. Twenty-three therapists met with 2 clients for 7 sessions and 20 participants served in a no-treatment control group. Results: Outcome and alliance differences for Training Status were negligible. High FIS therapists had greater pre–post client outcome, and higher rates of change across sessions, than low FIS therapists. All clients treated by therapists improved more than the silent control, but effects were greater with high FIS than low FIS therapists. From the first session, high FIS therapists also had higher alliances than low FIS therapists as well as significant improvements on client-rated alliance. Conclusions: Results were consistent with the hypothesis that therapists’ common relational skills are independent contributors to therapeutic alliance and outcome.

English

Rice-koji is an important agent for the saccharification of fermented food production in Japan. In koji-making, temperature, humidity, light and oxygen are important environmental factors. However, there is no report of koji-making controlled by sound wave. In this study, focusing on the enzyme activity of rice-koji, we confirmed the relationship between enzyme activity and frequency of sound waves. Here, the enzyme activities of rice-koji cultured with no sound and sound waves at seven different frequencies (1.0, 2.5, 6.3, 8.0, 10.0, 12.5 and 16.0 kHz) were compared. Using two types of polished rice from different production areas, the activities were investigated. In this study, we investigated the enzyme activity of four types of rice-koji and found frequencies where the enzyme activity was significantly different to activity with no sound. In particular, the frequency of significant difference was investigated to confirm both rice. In the results, due to the irradiation frequency of 6.3 kHz, glucoamylase activity of both rice-koji decreased significantly (P<0.01) compared to the silent control. Further, due to the irradiation frequency of 1.0 kHz, acid protease activity confirmed a significant difference between the silent control and a frequency of 1.0 kHz (P<0.01). That is, as the activity of one of rice-koji increased, that of another rice-koji decreased. However, the activity of α-amylase and acid carboxypeptidase was not affected at any frequency. These results suggest that sound waves, particularly at frequencies of 1.0 and 6.3 kHz, have marked effects on the specific enzymatic activity of rice-koji. Key words: Frequency of sound waves, sound wave, rice-koji, enzyme activity, koji-making.

How to design silent control experiments for ultrasound-assisted oil sands extraction and upgrading: A computational study

Abstract The major concern in estimating sonochemical yield and efficiency in ultrasound-assisted processes is in defining a “silent” control experiment, without cavitation effects. To estimate the potential benefit of the ultrasonic treatment as compared to conventional heating, we propose that the effects should be compared at the same power input, when the energy in a silent experiment is dissipated as heat. Our calculations of possible temperature increase under the silent conditions for oil sands extraction and upgrading showed necessity of such approach.

Environmental Sounds Enhance Cortical Responses Related to a Serial Arithmetic Task

In this study, we used near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to examine the effects of environmental sounds on performance of a serial arithmetic task. Subjects included 6 males and 15 females aged 21 or 22 years. All subjects were required to perform a serial arithmetic task according to the Uchida-Kraepelin performance test. We used four environmental conditions: hubbub sound, forest sound, traffic noise, and a silent control condition. During the serial arithmetic task, we also measured hemodynamic changes in the frontal cortex using NIRS to assess the effects of environmental sounds on brain function during the serial arithmetic task. Results showed that exposure to environmental sounds did not enhance or detract from task performance speed in a serial arithmetic task performance when compared with results obtained upon exposure to silence. However, environmental sounds enhanced cortical responses during the serial arithmetic task. Our results reveal differences in activation of the prefrontal cortex under different sound conditions, which may help increase our understanding of the potential effects of environmental sounds.

The Joys of Spring

This study used Vivaldi's Four Seasons, an extraordinary example of program music, to explore the consequence of music exposure on cognitive event-related potentials (ERPs). Seventeen participants performed a three-stimulus visual odd-ball task while ERPs were recorded. Participants were required to differentiate between a rare target stimulus (to elicit a memory updating component; P3b), a rare novel stimulus (to elicit a novelty attention component; P3a), and a frequent nontarget stimulus. During task performance participants listened to the four concertos: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter in comparison to a silent control condition. Additionally, the three movements of each concerto have a fast, slow, fast structure that enabled examination of the impact of tempo. The data revealed that "Spring," particularly the well-recognized, vibrant, emotive, and uplifting first movement, had the ability to enhance mental alertness and brain measures of attention and memory.

Larval settlement in response to estuarine soundscapes

Ambient underwater sound has the potential to be an important orientation and settlement cue for marine invertebrate larvae, yet larval responses to relevant sound patterns are largely unknown. In estuaries of the Southeastern United States, oyster reefs are patchy productive habitats that harbor many soniferous fish and invertebrates, creating distinct sound characteristics. This habitat-related sound could provide a useful cue for the planktonic larvae of obligate reef dwellers and facilitate encounter with suitable settlement substrate. To investigate sound as a settlement cue in this system, larval settlement responses to oyster reef and soft-bottom sounds, as well as a no-sound control were tested for the Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica. Laboratory and field experiments suggest that sound has a significant effect on oyster settlement rates: higher numbers of larvae settled in the presence of oyster reef sounds than in soft-bottom sound or silent control treatments. Improved understanding of the relationship between habitat sound fields and subsequent larval recruitment is central to bio-physical studies of larval connectivity and recruitment in marine systems.

The dynamics of intermodal matching: Seven- and 12-month-olds' intermodal matching of affect

The purpose of this experiment was to examine whether and how a common methodological difference frequently employed within the intermodal matching procedure affects infants' intermodal matching. Specifically we examined the effects of incorporating or excluding silent control trials on seven- and 12-month-olds' intermodal matching of affect. Results revealed that seven-month-olds showed reliable matching when presented all in-sound trials whereas 12-month-olds showed reliable matching when half of the trials were presented silently and half of the trials were presented in-sound. Results are discussed in terms of the dynamics of infant attention and those conditions where the inclusion of silent trials may be appropriate.