Gap detection by the chinchilla

Abstract

Five monaural chinchillas were trained with a method of shock‐avoidance conditioning to respond to silent intervals, or gaps, in an otherwise continuous noise. The noise was low‐pass filtered at either 10 or 6 kHz and presented at six intensities ranging between 23‐ and 77‐ dB sound‐pressure level (SPL). Gap detection thresholds were determined according to the method of constant stimuli. For both noise bands, gap thresholds were approximately 3 ms at the highest intensity levels and increased to approximately 6 ms at the lowest level. The results obtained from the chinchilla are in general agreement with those obtained from man.