Hearing acuity of animals as measured by conditioning methods.

Abstract

With the use of the motor-alimentary conditioning method, dogs and cats were trained to respond to pure tones. Ultimately thresholds were detd. for 8 or 9 different frequencies between 100 cycles and 16,000 cycles, inclusive. The minimum audible fields were also compared with those of a large group of young human adult subjects. The sensitivity curves of both animal sp. were almost identical. As compared to man, there were 2 main differences. In the animals, the most sensitive point was between the frequencies of 5000 and 8000 cycles, as against 2000 to 3000 cycles in man. Secondly, the animals'' hearing was considerably more acute at frequencies above 5000; thus, at 14,000 to 16,000 cycles it was superior by about 25 decibels. Unquestionably the upper frequency limit of hearing is higher in animals than in man. The problem is, however, complicated by lack of data on the performance of sound-transmitters at high frequencies.