157
© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016
J.A. Sisneros (ed.), Fish Hearing and Bioacoustics, Advances in Experimental
Medicine and Biology 877, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-21059-9_8
Revisiting Psychoacoustic Methods
for the Assessment of Fish Hearing
Ashwin A. Bhandiwad and Joseph A. Sisneros
Abstract Behavioral methods have been critical in the study of auditory perception
and discrimination in fi shes. In this chapter, we review some of the common methods used in fi sh psychoacoustics. We discuss associative methods, such as operant,
avoidance, and classical conditioning, and their use in constructing audiograms,
measuring frequency selectivity, and auditory stream segregation. We also discuss
the measurement of innate behavioral responses, such as the acoustic startle response
(ASR), prepulse inhibition (PPI), and phonotaxis, and their use in the assessment of
fi sh hearing to determine auditory thresholds and in the testing of mechanisms for
sound source localization. For each psychoacoustic method, we provide examples
of their use and discuss the parameters and situations where such methods can be
best utilized. In the case of the ASR, we show how this method can be used to construct and compare audiograms between two species of larval fi shes, the threespined stickleback ( Gasterosteus aculeatus ) and the zebrafi sh ( Danio rerio ). We
also discuss considerations for experimental design with respect to stimulus presentation and threshold criteria and how these techniques can be used in future studies
to investigate auditory perception in fi shes.
Keywords Behavior • Psychoacoustics • Conditioning • Refl ex responses •
Stimulus presentation
A. A. Bhandiwad (*)
Department of Psychology , University of Washington , Seattle , WA 98103 , USA
e-mail: bhandiwa@u.washington.edu
J. A. Sisneros
Department of Psychology , University of Washington , Seattle , WA 98103 , USA
Department of Biology , University of Washington , Seattle , WA 98103 , USA
© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016
J.A. Sisneros (ed.), Fish Hearing and Bioacoustics, Advances in Experimental
Medicine and Biology 877, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-21059-9_8
Revisiting Psychoacoustic Methods
for the Assessment of Fish Hearing
Ashwin A. Bhandiwad and Joseph A. Sisneros
Abstract Behavioral methods have been critical in the study of auditory perception
and discrimination in fi shes. In this chapter, we review some of the common methods used in fi sh psychoacoustics. We discuss associative methods, such as operant,
avoidance, and classical conditioning, and their use in constructing audiograms,
measuring frequency selectivity, and auditory stream segregation. We also discuss
the measurement of innate behavioral responses, such as the acoustic startle response
(ASR), prepulse inhibition (PPI), and phonotaxis, and their use in the assessment of
fi sh hearing to determine auditory thresholds and in the testing of mechanisms for
sound source localization. For each psychoacoustic method, we provide examples
of their use and discuss the parameters and situations where such methods can be
best utilized. In the case of the ASR, we show how this method can be used to construct and compare audiograms between two species of larval fi shes, the threespined stickleback ( Gasterosteus aculeatus ) and the zebrafi sh ( Danio rerio ). We
also discuss considerations for experimental design with respect to stimulus presentation and threshold criteria and how these techniques can be used in future studies
to investigate auditory perception in fi shes.
Keywords Behavior • Psychoacoustics • Conditioning • Refl ex responses •
Stimulus presentation
A. A. Bhandiwad (*)
Department of Psychology , University of Washington , Seattle , WA 98103 , USA
e-mail: bhandiwa@u.washington.edu
J. A. Sisneros
Department of Psychology , University of Washington , Seattle , WA 98103 , USA
Department of Biology , University of Washington , Seattle , WA 98103 , USA