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  • Title: The Franssen effect illusion in budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) and zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata).
    Author: Dent ML, McClaine EM, Welch TE.
    Journal: J Acoust Soc Am; 2007 Dec; 122(6):3609-14. PubMed ID: 18247768.
    Abstract:
    The properties of the Franssen effect (FE) were measured in budgerigars and zebra finches. To elicit the FE, listeners are presented with a signal which has been split into a transient component, carrying an abrupt onset and ramped offset and separated in space from the sustained component which has a slowly rising onset and longer duration. When these two signals are played under certain conditions, the perception is that of a long-duration steady state tone being played at the location of the transient. The birds were trained using operant conditioning methods on a categorization task to peck a left key when presented with a stimulus from a left speaker and to peck a right key when presented with a stimulus from a right speaker. Once training was completed, FE stimuli were presented during a small proportion of trials. The FE was measured at speaker separations of 60 degrees and 180 degrees in both echoic and echoic-reduced conditions. Both species of birds exhibited the FE, although to varying degrees, across conditions. These results show that nonmammals also experience the FE illusion in confusing listening situations in a manner similar to mammals, suggestive of similar auditory processing mechanisms.
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