Animal Psychophysics: the design and conduct of sensory experiments

Animal Psychophysics: the design and conduct of sensory experiments PDF Author: William C. Stebbins
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1475745141
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 436

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Book Description
In May of 1969, the contributors to this book gathered at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor for three days to talk about their work in the behavioral analysis of animal sensory function and to share their research experiences in the laboratory with particular emphasis on methodology in behavioral training, testing, and instrumentation. It was their feeling and mine as a consequence of this meeting that we had sufficient substance to justify a book which we hoped would be of interest and even of pragmatic value to any biologic or biomedical scientist whose work deals with sensory function. Clearly, there is no aspect of an organism's behavior that is not to some extent con trolled by environmental stimuli. In recent years, due in large part to technical advances in microscopy and histology and in electrophysiology, there have been several extremely informative published proceedings from conferences and symposia concerned with some of the early and very basic stages in the reception of environmental energy by the sense organs and its processing by the nervous system. Transduction at the receptor and stimulus coding by the nervous system, cell membrane changes, and the basic structure of the receptor and related tissue as seen through the electron and phase contrast microscope have received major attention, and exciting new discoveries in sen sory function and structure have been reported. Ultimately, such discoveries must be related to an intact behaving organism.

Animal Psychophysics: the design and conduct of sensory experiments

Animal Psychophysics: the design and conduct of sensory experiments PDF Author: William C. Stebbins
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1475745141
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 436

Get Book Here

Book Description
In May of 1969, the contributors to this book gathered at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor for three days to talk about their work in the behavioral analysis of animal sensory function and to share their research experiences in the laboratory with particular emphasis on methodology in behavioral training, testing, and instrumentation. It was their feeling and mine as a consequence of this meeting that we had sufficient substance to justify a book which we hoped would be of interest and even of pragmatic value to any biologic or biomedical scientist whose work deals with sensory function. Clearly, there is no aspect of an organism's behavior that is not to some extent con trolled by environmental stimuli. In recent years, due in large part to technical advances in microscopy and histology and in electrophysiology, there have been several extremely informative published proceedings from conferences and symposia concerned with some of the early and very basic stages in the reception of environmental energy by the sense organs and its processing by the nervous system. Transduction at the receptor and stimulus coding by the nervous system, cell membrane changes, and the basic structure of the receptor and related tissue as seen through the electron and phase contrast microscope have received major attention, and exciting new discoveries in sen sory function and structure have been reported. Ultimately, such discoveries must be related to an intact behaving organism.

Relational Psychophysics in Humans and Animals

Relational Psychophysics in Humans and Animals PDF Author: Viktor Sarris
Publisher: Psychology Press
ISBN: 1135420858
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 221

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Book Description
Relational Psychophysics in Humans and Animals offers a comprehensive and integrated overview of the often fragmented field of psychophysics. It introduces key concepts in psychophysics and clearly summarises and illustrates the central issues through telling examples. It combines empirical research and theoretical approaches from general psychophysics, animal psychophysics and human-infant psychophysics, to create a systematic comparison of these three key areas. Through out, Viktor Sarris makes a strong case for more comparative psychophysical research across different species and across different stages of development. He presents original research and examines frame-of-reference models, behavioural psychophysics, developmental psychophysics, perceptual-cognitive psychophysics and evolutionary perspectives, to create an integrated framework for the direction of new research. The book will be an invaluable aid for researchers in the fields of perception and psychophysics.

Animal Psychophysics; an Examination of the Field

Animal Psychophysics; an Examination of the Field PDF Author: Carol A. Saslow
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Psychophysiology
Languages : en
Pages : 26

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Book Description
The essay critically describes the present state of the field of animal psychophysics. The field is divided into studies concerned with behavioral investigation of performance capabilities and studies primarily concerned with sensory physiology. The 'performance' category includes research on thresholds, response bias, and scaling. The 'physiology' category includes production of baseline behavior, correlation of physiological and psychological responses, and simultaneous measurements of physiological and psychophysical functions. The problems discussed include the assumption that performance measures are completely determined by sensory constraints; the pitfalls inherent in direct and indirect methods (including reaction time) of doing scaling work with animals; and the need for application of behavioral paradigms derived from contemporary psychophysics which would permit measurement of performance changes, following physiological maneuvers, in terms of alterations of sensory capabilities and response bias effects. (Author).

Theories of Animal Memory

Theories of Animal Memory PDF Author: Donald F. Kendrick
Publisher: Psychology Press
ISBN: 1317767748
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 280

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Book Description
First published in 1986. This book is concerned with the transition of animal learning from a strict stimulus-response (S-R) approach to a more cognitive approach. In response to noted past research that was guided by some perspective or theoretical framework based partly on a combination of research results and individual opinions about what animals can do. This volume was thus conceived as a collection of chapters in which animal memory researchers could publicly state their opinions about animal memory, with little concern for substantiating them with test data. This volume is organized in three main sections of three chapters each. The first section, The Grand Approach, is a collection of chapters with a meta-theoretical perspective. The second section, Memory Processes, presents three chapters concerned with the processes, properties, and mechanisms of short-term memory in animals. The third section, Theoretical Issues, presents two highly developed theories of animal memory, one based on pigeon short-term memory experiments and one based on delayed alternation in the rat

The Origins of Meaning

The Origins of Meaning PDF Author: James R. Hurford
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191607231
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 406

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Book Description
In this, the first of two ground-breaking volumes on the nature of language in the light of the way it evolved, James Hurford looks at how the world first came to have a meaning in the minds of animals and how in humans this meaning eventually came to be expressed as language. He reviews a mass of evidence to show how close some animals, especially primates and more especially apes, are to the brink of human language. Apes may not talk to us but they construct rich cognitive representations of the world around them, and here, he shows, are the evolutionary seeds of abstract thought - the means of referring to objects, the memory of events, even elements of the propositional thinking philosophers have hitherto reserved for humans. What then, he asks, is the evolutionary path between the non-speaking minds of apes and our own speaking minds? Why don't apes communicate the richness of their thoughts to each other? Why do humans alone have a unique disposition to reveal their thoughts in complex detail? Professor Hurford searches a wide range of evidence for the answers to these central questions, including degrees of trust, the role of hormones, the ability to read minds, and the willingness to cooperate. Expressing himself congenially in consistently colloquial language the author builds up a vivid picture of how mind, language, and meaning evolved over millions of years. His book is a landmark contribution to the understanding of linguistic and thinking processes, and the fullest account yet published of the evolution of language and communication. "A wonderful read - lucid, informative, and entertaining, while at the same time never talking down to the reader by sacrificing argumentation for the sake of 'simplicity'. Likely to be heralded as the major publication dealing with language evolution to date. Frederick J. Newmeyer, University of Washington

The Acoustic Sense of Animals

The Acoustic Sense of Animals PDF Author: William C. Stebbins
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 9780674003262
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 190

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Book Description
This immensely readable introduction to animal acoustics explains not only how animals hear but why they listen. It is a unique blend of audition, auditory anatomy, physics of sound, and methods of psychophysics, combined with behavior, natural history, and evolution. The Acoustic Sense of Animals is ideal for graduate and undergraduate courses, and for professionals in fields such as sensory physiology and animal behavior. In his broadly comparative approach, Stebbins explores the function of hearing for each animal in its particular ecological setting and the significance of communication for members of a species. He renders the evolution of hearing with special emphasis on the peripheral auditory system and basic auditory function. Although ample evidence is brought to bear, both from the laboratory and from field studies, the book is not burdened with excessive detail. The writing is crisp, and the references are tailored to those most useful for nonspecialists. The Acoustic Sense of Animals covers a complex field with balance and clarity within a solid evolutionary framework. Equally important, it conveys the controversy and excitement that will motivate students.

Sensory Systems of Animals

Sensory Systems of Animals PDF Author: Mark Hollins
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1040117589
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 381

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Book Description
Perception in animals is a fascinating and challenging subject that calls to students from many disciplines. The aim of this book is to provide a knowledge base and unifying perspective on the field that will enable beginning researchers to chart their own course within it. The author describes, in a systematic but engaging way, the sensory systems of humans and other vertebrates, as well as arthropods and molluscs. Why is it important to understand the senses of animals? One reason is that human activities are changing the perceptual world of animals in ways that expose them to danger. From bright outdoor lighting disorienting migrating birds to human sonar driving whales to beach themselves; it is becoming increasingly important to find ways to reduce such dangers. This will require big changes in human behavior, and greater understanding of how animals react, physiologically and behaviorally, to anthropogenic changes in their environment. The emphasis throughout is on research, in both the behavioral/ethological and neuroscientific traditions, that has led to important discoveries. The functional anatomy of each system, from receptor cells to brain areas, is succinctly described, explaining how it underlies the animal’s sensory abilities and behavior. Overall descriptions of a sense for a class of animals (for example, hearing in arachnids) are interspersed with expanded coverage of that sense in a particular animal, such as the ogre-faced web-casting spider that does a backflip to capture an insect buzzing overhead. Evolutionary themes are found throughout the book, for example in describing the development of the vertebrate ear, and in the convergent evolution of the eyes of vertebrates and cephalopods. With over 500 references and 80 illustrations, this textbook is primary reading intended for advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students of veterinary science, lab animal science, and zoology. It would also be of great interest to professionals and academics working with animals such as veterinary professionals and zookeepers.

Findings of Drug Abuse Research

Findings of Drug Abuse Research PDF Author: National Institute on Drug Abuse
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Drug abuse
Languages : en
Pages : 852

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Book Description


NIDA Research Monograph

NIDA Research Monograph PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Drug abuse
Languages : en
Pages : 842

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Book Description


Psychology

Psychology PDF Author: R. W. Rieber
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 1483268454
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 381

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Book Description
Psychology: Theoretical-Historical Perspectives offers analysis, provided by different contributors, of the theoretical traditions in psychology. The compilation provides articles that discuss topics on the influences in the development of American psychology; the development of the concept of the self in psychology; the groundwork for psychology before the Civil War; and the influence of Darwin's evolutionary theories on psychology. Psychologists and students will find the book invaluable.