Receiver processing of information in signals is an essential step for communication. We are interested in understanding the mechanisms of information processing in acoustic and multimodal signals, and how animals make decisions by integrating information over time.
We study the process of temporal integration, in which animals accumulate information to arrive at behavioral decisions. An important question is how is this information integrated? Are some pieces of information more heavily weighted than others? For example, is the beginning of a signal more important, or the end? We test this by creating ‘conflicting’ stimuli, in which different parts of the stimulus indicate different information (e.g. the first part may indicate that the signal is coming from the animal’s left, and the second part may indicate that it is coming from the animal’s right). In previous work we examined temporal integration in grasshoppers and applied a drift diffusion model to compare integration parameters in males and females, finding strong sex differences in the speed versus accuracy of the integration process. We are now examining similar processes in frogs and finding remarkable similarities. As part of our frog work, we are collaborating with Liz McCullagh to examine the neural basis of temporal integration using the auditory brainstem response.
We are also very interested in sensory biases as a driver of sexual selection and mate choice. Sensory biases occur when sensory processing mechanisms cause some signals to be more effective than others. We have been working to understand the nature of these biases by testing whether temporal order affects response to novel signals. In both grasshoppers and frogs we found evidence for temporal order effects, although the specific effects differed between the two species.
Relevant publications:
Reichert Lab 