Social Factors in Vocal Development

本研究将考察声乐学习的一个模型系统--鸟鸣学习。这项研究将集中在社会因素的作用上，并将对比关于这些因素的几种不同的假设。根据直接相互作用假说，幼鸟通过与年长的鸟类互动来学习唱歌。根据社交窃听假说，幼鸟主要通过从他观察或无意中听到的其他鸟类之间的互动中提取信息来学习。根据社会优势假说，关键信息涉及这些鸟类的优势关系，而根据歌唱规则假说，关键信息涉及哪些歌曲是对其他歌曲的适当回应。这些假设将通过新开发的虚拟导师系统进行验证，该系统既可以模拟互动的歌手，也可以直接与受试者互动。该系统还捕获了许多活的反鸣禽的特征，同时允许研究人员进行比活鸟更多的实验性控制。在实验室中对鸣禽的鸣叫学习进行了广泛的分析，部分原因是它与人类语言学习有许多相似之处，它已经成为研究学习的神经生物学和遗传学的主要模型系统。直到最近，人们才认识到与人类语言学习的另一个相似之处，即社会因素在声乐学习中的作用。本研究将进一步开发这一学习模型系统的实用性。这项研究将同时支持研究生和本科生。它还将在公共教育中发挥作用，包括在探索公园进行实地研究，探索公园是一个占地532英亩的自然区公园，由西雅图公园和娱乐公司运营。

This research will examine a model system of vocal learning, bird song learning. The research will concentrate on the role of social factors, and will contrast several different hypotheses about these factors. According to the direct interaction hypothesis, young birds learn songs by interacting with older birds. According to the social eavesdropping hypothesis, the young bird learns primarily by extracting information from interactions among other birds that he observes or overhears. According to the social dominance hypothesis, the key information concerns the dominance relationships of those birds, while according to the singing rules hypothesis, the key information concerns which songs are appropriate replies to other songs. These hypotheses will be tested using the newly-developed 'virtual tutor' system which can both simulate interacting singers and interact directly with the subject. This system also captures many of the features of live counter-singing birds while permitting the investigator more experimental control than is possible with live birds. Parallel studies will be carried out in the field.Song learning in songbirds has been analyzed extensively in the laboratory and, in part because of its many parallels with human language learning, it has become a major model system for studying the neurobiology and genetics of learning. It is only recently that another parallel with human language learning has been recognized; i.e., the role of social factors in vocal learning. This research will further develop the utility of this model system of learning. The research will support both graduate and undergraduate students. It will also play a role in public education, featuring the field research which takes place at Discovery Park, a 532-acre natural area park operated by Seattle Parks & Recreation.